‘I'm devastated. It's unbelievable,' says wife of man killed helping stranded driver

Arlington police say a man was killed and a woman was severely injured when they were hit by an SUV that crashed into them as they helped a stranded friend early Saturday morning.

According to Arlington police, at about 1 a.m., officers were called to reports of a driver hitting multiple pedestrians in the 300 block of North Watson Road near Division Street.

Officers arrived to find a 31-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman injured on the ground. Police said the man, Tyler White, was taken to the hospital, where he later died. The woman remained in critical condition Sunday.

"I'm devastated. I'm in shock. Like, it's unbelievable," said Breya White, Tyler's wife.

On Friday night, she and her husband of three years were at a family member's holiday party when they received a phone call from a friend.

"Our friend called, saying his wife's car slid off the road. So he [Tyler] instantly said, 'OK. I'll go help.' And then I went with him, and another friend went, and I sat in the back seat, and then when we got there, they started assessing the car," explained White.

Breya White said they parked on the shoulder of the road near the grass as her husband went to get ropes out of the trunk so they could pull their friend's 2016 Hyundai Veloster out of the mud. White said she was chatting with the wife of the couple whose car was stuck when everything instantly changed.

"We were hugging and I'm like, 'Get in the car. Get in the car, it's cold outside.' She's like, 'No. I'm muddy," said White.

White climbed back inside her 2004 GMC Yukon and moments before it was hit.

"All I see is this bright light, and I hear an engine, and it's just, 'Boom!' And then I just slide, the car just slides off, and then she (the friend) just goes down, and I'm just spinning, spinning, spinning," explained White about the car she was in.

White called out for her husband and found him on the ground. Their other friend performed CPR on Tyler until paramedics arrived.

"He was breathing, so I thought there was hope. I really was so optimistic. I was so optimistic that he was going to make it. I saw the injuries, but I looked past it because he was breathing," expressed White.

An officer brought her to the hospital. She soon learned her husband didn't survive.

"When they finally let me see him, I just sat with him. I just kissed him. I just laid my head on his chest. I just had to do that for a last time because that would be my last time to kiss him, to lay my head on his chest," cried White.

Police said first responders had to free the 32-year-old woman who was driving the BMW X1 that crashed into the Yukon at a high rate of speed.

Arlington police said charges are pending based on the investigation. In a news release, it said crash investigators have not ruled out whether alcohol may be a factor.

"We pulled off the side of the road. Like, how did she even get that far off the road to even hit us?" questioned White.

She said her friend, the one whose car was stuck in the mud, is still in the hospital.

"I talked to her husband today, and he said she's fighting. She's still alive, so she's fighting. She's had some surgeries, but she's still fighting," said White.

White also has some injuries from the crash but is bracing for the emotional toll of losing her husband.

"The little bruises, that's nothing compared to this internal pain that I have in my heart," said White.

The couple have three kids, a 10-year-old boy and daughters ages 7 and 2.

"He just loved us. He was such a great daddy. Such a great daddy. I just hate that my babies are not going to be able to experience him moving on in life," said White.

She said her husband liked to fish and hunt and planned on taking a trip next April for his birthday. Tyler was also into aviation and worked as an airplane mechanic. He was also known for his kind heart and his final moments mirrored his outlook on life.

"He was so selfless. He loved helping people. He was like, 'Oh, it's not a big deal. If I could do it, I'm going to do it," described Breya. "He would always help our neighbors. He's a car guy, so he would change my neighbor's oil. Fix the neighbor's cabinets. He was so selfless. He loved helping people."

“Tyler was amazing. He is amazing. Phenomenal man, a good man. Put his family first, man. Went to work. He loved his job. He loved his friends. He loved his neighbors," said White.

White said she's surrounding herself with family and friends as she navigates the heartbreak, with Christmas less than two weeks away.

“I just loved him so bad. I loved him so bad, and I just cherish the three years of marriage that we had. I wish it was longer," said White, who wished they had picked up their friend and tried to tow the car the next day. "This could have been avoided. My husband could still be alive. I regret that we even went out there that night."

Now, the family is focusing on Tyler's funeral arrangements.