CASA GRANDE, AZ — Family and neighbors are searching for answers after a senior center's van ran over an 81-year-old Casa Grande grandmother.
Eva Berger went to the Dorothy Powell Senior Center every weekday, according to her granddaughter. A city-operated van drove her to and from the center, which was about a mile from her home.
Around 12:45 p.m. on Monday, the van dropped Berger off in the street in front of her house, and then the van ran over the woman, according to authorities. She died on the way to the hospital.
"Why would you leave her on the road?" questioned Briana Ramirez, Berger's granddaughter. "Weren’t you trained to make sure she gets in her property? Or wave? Make sure she’s okay?"
The ABC15 Investigators asked Casa Grande city officials about the van driver's experience and training. A city spokesperson said the driver is a part-time employee who started in December 2024. The driver had no prior incidents or policy violations, according to city officials, and she has no upcoming work hours scheduled.
As for the van, the city said it was a standard van with a wheelchair ramp, and it received an oil change and inspection last week. The senior center has temporarily suspended senior center van transportation.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is investigating the deadly incident. A DPS spokesman said investigators interviewed the driver and released her. The investigation is ongoing.
Ramirez said her grandma liked to crochet and bake banana bread. Relatives and neighbors affectionately called her "Big Mom."
"She always made anybody welcome," Ramirez said. "She gave you that love like you never felt."
The family held a community candlelight vigil at the crash site Tuesday evening.
