Dori: Mother of Auburn hit-and-run victim says it’s the ‘worst feeling to bury your baby’

When Shannon McLucas-Stratton left Washington state in 2017 because of rising crime, she never imagined that she would have to return to the state to bury her daughter, the victim of an Auburn hit-and-run.

Caitlin McLucas, 31, died at Harborview Medical Center, hours after the driver of a stolen car struck the young woman while she walking to catch the bus for work.

McLucas-Stratton reached out to the Dori Monson Show in an effort to thank the unidentified “good Samaritan” who tracked down the fleeing female driver and forced her to return to the scene.

“I can already hear the emotion in your voice, and it’s so very understandable,” Dori told Shannon.

Between sobs, McLucas-Stratton told Dori’s listeners that the hit-and-run driver “has a history and she was out there.”

“She had just stolen the vehicle four blocks away, hit (Caitlin) and took off. Thank God a person saw it and chased her down and took her back to the scene of the crime,” she said. “I want to thank him because I’m grateful to him because that’s so rare today.”

McLucas-Stratton has since been connected with the good Samaritan who tracked down the driver.

Meanwhile, Caitlin’s family will gather Friday morning for a service to celebrate the young woman, who her mom says “didn’t ask for much out of life, but she put a lot into it.”

“These are such impossible conversations to have,” Dori said. “Why did you want to get the word out?”

“I was born and raised in Seattle, lived here for 51 years,” McLucas-Stratton said. “In 2017, I moved to Alaska because (Seattle) started taking a nosedive and nobody did anything. And it keeps getting worse and worse and worse.”

“You moved specifically to get away from the crime?” Dori asked.

“Absolutely,” McLucas-Stratton responded. “My daughter couldn’t even walk her dog after work anymore because of all the drunks and the addicts. This is not my home. It’s just decayed. It’s not right. I don’t want anybody to have to go through this.”

Car thefts, like the one that preceded Caitlin’s hit-and-run death, are up 50% statewide, Dori reported. This makes Washington the third-worst state in the nation for car thefts.

“When I spoke to the (police officer) that day, he said they have six stolen vehicles a day – and that’s just in Auburn,” McLucas-Stratton added.

On top of all the heartache, Dori told her: “I so appreciate your courage to get the message out to people.”

“That’s what I want. I want laws enforced and I want criminals put away,” she said.

“My heart hurts and I don’t know how to stop it,” the grieving mom continued. “I just don’t wish this upon anybody. It’s the worst feeling ever to bury your baby.”

Listen to Dori’s interview with Shannon McLucas-Stratton, mom of hit-and-run victim:

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.