ARITON, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say an Alabama woman is dead after being hit by a truck as she tried to protect a group of children from the vehicle.

The Dothan Eagle reports 50-year-old Angelia Joan Pendleton of Clio was fatally struck Thursday evening, just minutes after she walked away from a prior crash while riding in a car driven by her husband.

Alabama State Troopers said Pendleton’s husband had been involved in a wreck on Alabama Highway 51 near Ariton. Pendleton left the car to sit down near a group of children that were playing.

Trooper Kevin Cook said Pendleton ran toward the children when she saw a pickup truck veer off the road to avoid a tree. The truck hit Pendleton and she was taken to a local hospital, where she died.