ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Only Action News Jax spoke with a woman who tried to save the life of the 28-year-old Juan Coronilla Duran.
He was hit and killed by a semi-truck Tuesday morning. It all happened when he ran out onto State Road 16 after an encounter with ICE agents in St. Augustine.
On Wednesday night, a vigil to honor his life left behind candles, flowers, and notes that marked the loss.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Many had signs showing their opposition to ICE and their involvement.
Sara Atkinson, not associated with the protest at all, came back to the scene today, not to protest but to remember the man she tried her best to save.
“I pulled the cloth, the garment over his face so I could see the man. And at that moment I realized he was actually still alive,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson is a veterinary nurse who lives minutes away from State Road 16. She heard the crash and took immediate action. She went underneath the semi to see if he was breathing.
“I immediately started chest compressions, doing what I was trained to do,” Atkinson said. “I was trying everything just to save the man’s life. Give him the best chance possible.”
She says after about 10 minutes, first responders came to help.
“They ended up notifying me that he had, in fact, passed away,” Atkinson said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Atkinson says she’s heartbroken. She wants to send a message to the family of the victim.
“He didn’t die alone; everybody here on scene, rescuers, first aid providers, police officers, we all fought to save him,” Atkinson said.
On State Road 16, there were dozens of people who came out for a vigil to honor Duran’s life.
Some, like Brit Robinson, who is running for Congress District 4 as a democratic candidate, also showing opposition to ICE.
“That’s not what this country is supposed to be about, like hunting down members of our community,” Robinson said.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
For Atkinson, her message was different.
“I’m not involved in any of the political stuff. I did my job as a human being for another human being,” Atkinson said.
Duran has been identified as a Mexican National. We’ve reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for updates about his death and the ICE encounter leading up to it. We are waiting to hear back.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
