Woman killed in hit, run; daughter at wheel

NEAR RHODODENDRON, Ore. – Oregon State Police are investigating a death of a woman in a strange incident they are calling “suspicious."

Police said that at about 9:15 p.m. Thursday there was a report that a woman was in the roadway on Highway 26 near milepost 44.

Witnesses reportedly told police that the woman was run over by a white 1996 Dodge pickup truck as it drove westbound after she fell or was pushed out the passenger door of the vehicle.

The 52-year-old woman, identified as Bridget Maureen McGowan, was found alive but later died at the scene, according to police. Officers from the Sandy Police Department and Clackamas County also responded to the scene.

The state medical examiner finished an autopsy Friday afternoon and found that McGowan's injuries were consistent with being run over by a vehicle.

A short time after the initial reports of a woman being run over, an Oregon State Police trooper pulled over a pickup matching the description of the suspect vehicle near milepost 29 east of Sandy and detained two people. No arrests have been announced.

Their identities have not yet been released, but police did say one male and female were in the vehicle and that the driver of the vehicle was the victim's daughter.

KATU News talked to one man who witnessed the incident and he said it appeared there was a fight of some sort and the victim got in and out of the pickup several times before she was run over.

The man performed CPR on the victim after she was hit and screamed at the driver to stop as the pickup drove away from the scene.

The investigation is still underway by a major crimes team and OSP detectives.

Local residents told KATU News that most of the businesses in the area close at about 7 p.m. and that it is very quiet around the area after that time.

Oregon State Police are asking anyone with any information to contact them as soon as possible.