SAN ANTONIO – Gathered Wednesday on the corner of Camden Street and McCullough Avenue that Rosalinda Portillo never reached, the 67-year-old great-grandmother's family mourned her loss.
Portillo was struck and killed by a pickup truck Monday afternoon as she crossed the 900 block of McCullough Avenue. Her daughter, Leticia Juarez, said Portillo was on her way home from a doctor's appointment.
"But our most concern was that she was by herself," Juarez said. "She was not with one of us."
Though the family would give Portillo rides to her appointments, Juarez said her mother preferred not to trouble them and would also take the bus on her own. Juarez believes Portillo was headed to a bus stop when she was hit.
According to preliminary information from San Antonio police, Portillo was in the crosswalk when a truck turned left off of Camden Street. The driver did not see Portillo, though, and hit her, causing her to go under the truck.
The information from police did not say whether the walk sign was on as Portillo crossed. The driver of the truck had a green light, though not a protected arrow.
There are no pending criminal charges for the crash, though Juarez said she wants the driver be held liable for something, specifically mentioning paying for some of the funeral costs.
"We want some kind of recompense," Juarez said. "It took it from us for not paying attention. If you're at fault, we have consequences, whether we're criminally charged or not."
However, Juarez is also thankful for the strangers who came to her mother’s aid in her final moments.
“One of the girls that come out and said she went to call the priest, and he was giving her her last rites, which I do feel so much more comfortable knowing that," Juarez said.
Juarez also said she hopes other drivers will be careful and look out for pedestrians.
"I want people to realize that these people are someone's family, and it's not worth it trying to get somewhere on time if you have to take a life," Juarez said.