Good Samaritan Tries To Save Woman's Life In Deadly Highway 50 Crash

RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) — A morning commuter turned highway hero described how she tried to save a woman's life after a chain-reaction crash on Highway 50.

One person was killed in the crash that snarled eastbound traffic for nearly two hours Wednesday.

Holly Matzke survived a crash that sent her flying 40 feet off a cliff a few years ago and said stopping to help Wednesday was a no brainer, but she says what she saw has shaken her to her core. Matzke's voice was still weak and trembling hours after she witnesses a crash victim's final moments on Highway 50.

"I'm just like 'Okay momma, are you okay? Come on, stay with me.' And her eyes were fluttering and then that was it," Matzke said. "I was just like 'Oh my gosh, I don't believe she's with me.' And I checked her pulse and she was not with me."

RELATED: Cement Truck Involved In Deadly Crash On Highway 50 Near Sunrise Boulevard

Matzke was on her way to babysit her nephew when she was nearly caught up in a chain reaction crash that involved a cement truck on the highway.

It happened at the height of the morning commute and as the adrenaline started pumping, Matzke, who is trained in CPR, went into crisis mode, answering the desperate pleas for information from the victim's husband who was behind the wheel of a red Toyota.

"I was also telling him, 'It's okay, it's okay. Keep calm, we're going to get you help, we're going to get you out,'" Matzke said.

Some roadside heroics from a fellow commuter and Good Samaritan who isn't quite done lending a helping hand.

"I would really like to reach out to that man... maybe give him a big hug and tell him I'm sorry or give him some flowers because I'm hurt that he lost his significant other," Matzke said.

The victim's name has not yet been released and her husband was taken to a hospital with unknown injuries.

CHP is still investigating the incident.