After witnessing a collision between a car and pedestrian on K-Beach Thursday night, Kim McMilin says she can’t stop replaying the events in her mind.
On her way home, she realized she nearly hit a man in dark clothing who would later be identified as 32-year-old Nathan Tikka of Soldotna.
She pulled over to check on him.
McMilin: “He had fallen into the ditch, into the grass and wasn’t moving and I was so unsure of whether he was having a stroke or what, as I was calling 911 I walked up to him and said, ‘Excuse me, are you okay? ‘ and after I asked him a couple times he finally said, ‘Yeah, yeah, I’m okay’.”
Alaska State Troopers later determined Tikka was under the influence of alcohol.
McMilin returned to her vehicle to request the 911 dispatcher send someone to pick up Tikka because of his state.
She glanced back to see him walk into the traffic lane and despite her attempts to get his attention, he was struck by a gray 2006 Pontiac.
McMilin said there was no way the driver could have seen him as he was wearing all black.
McMilin: “As upset as I was, think about how upset she was so I went over there and gave her a hug, complete stranger, I still don’t know what her name is, but I told her that he’s still breathing and she shouldn’t worry too much and I was trying to calm her kids down that were in the back seat.”
She said she wish her husband had been with her so she felt comfortable giving Tikka a ride.
McMilin: “I keep on telling myself that I wish I would have stayed near him instead of walking back to my vehicle so that if he were to try to stand up could tell him to sit back down.”
Tikka suffered life-threatening injuries and is at an Anchorage hospital. McMilin said she wants him and his family to know her thoughts and prayers are with him.