SUV strikes, drags man
Brian Parr looked up just in time to throw his daughter’s stroller out of the way before being run over by an SUV while crossing Third Avenue at Monroe Street in Spokane on Monday afternoon, witnesses said.
“I went to reach for him to stop him,” said Parr’s fiancee, Kalynn Cook. The couple was crossing the street with their nearly 2-year-old daughter, Lillyann Parr.
“He looked up and realized he was being hit and he threw her out of the way. Then I ran over to the window and started punching it because (the driver) was still rolling over him. And he was screaming, ‘Stop, please stop.’ … I thought for sure she killed him.”
Elena Leveque, 43, the driver of the green mid-‘90s Ford Explorer, declined to talk with reporters.
Witnesses said Leveque was southbound on Monroe and turned east onto Third Avenue from a “straight only” lane, said Cpl. Brad Hallock of the Spokane Police Department. The vehicle struck 21-year-old Parr and he was dragged for a short distance.
Witness J.C. Cheetham watched the accident while delivering auto parts to Mechanic’s Pride across the intersection. Cheetham said he rushed to the scene after it became apparent that the driver couldn’t stop the car and was continuing to roll over Parr.
“As far as I could tell, she was in shock,” Cheetham said of Leveque. “She had the door open already, so we pulled her out of the vehicle, and another citizen and I jumped on the footbrake at the same time to stop the vehicle.”
About Brian Parr, Cheetham said, “He saved the baby’s life.”
Parr sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to Hallock. “Medics at the scene said it is likely he has a broken collarbone and possible internal injuries. The driver was uninjured.”
Hallock said it appeared the driver wasn’t impaired at the time of the accident.
“At this point it doesn’t look like speed, alcohol or drugs were a factor,” Hallock said. “So we’re ruling that out.”
Leveque was issued a notice of infraction for an improper turn, a news release from the Spokane Police Department said, while Parr will be issued a notice of infraction for jaywalking outside the crosswalk.
At the scene, witness reports were conflicting as to whether Parr, Cook and their daughter were in the crosswalk.