Running Community Comes Together After Virginia Runner’s Death

A mother of two was struck and killed by a car while out for a morning run last week.

It’s been a week since Jaime Rowley, a 31-year-old single mother of two, went out for a run in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Ashburn, Va.

And it’s been a week since her run came to an abrupt halt at 6:45 a.m. after she was struck by a vehicle at an intersection. Rowley was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.

The driver, a 61-year-old woman, stopped and began administering CPR to Rowley until authorities arrived on the scene the morning of March 12. She has not yet been charged but police are still investigating what actually happened along Waxpool Road near Claiborne Parkway.

In the days since Rowley’s death, runners from across the world have come together to remember her life and to also support Rowley’s daughters, aged 12 and 16. Family friend Frank Watson set up a fund for the girls’ college education and as of early Wednesday afternoon, it contained almost $101,000. The initial goal was $105,000.

“I don’t even know how to describe it,” said Maura Pratt, Rowley’s friend and a spokesperson for the family told the Washington Post. “It’s breathtaking, the amount of people who have come out and shown their support.”

Several businesses have also pledged to donate money, and the story even got the attention of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Runners flocked to the accident scene in the days since Rowley’s death, tying running shoes to a light pole to form a memorial.

“I want people to know who she was, who they’re running for, who they’re supporting,” an emotional Pratt told the Post. “She was one of the most amazing people. She was always happy. She would bend over backwards for anyone. She was just a selfless, amazing, beautiful person.”

For more information, visit facebook.com/runforjaime or gofundme.com/7hy03o.