PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Two Oregonians are being recognized for their bravery after saving a baby from being electrocuted when an ice storm downed a powerline over a family’s SUV.
The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission announced Monday they are awarding Majiah Washington and Ta’Ron Lee Briggs with the Carnegie Medal — honoring “outstanding acts of selfless heroism” in the United States and Canada.
The incident unfolded Jan. 17, 2024, after freezing rain coated Portland’s streets.
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Tajaliayh Briggs, 21, her partner 30-year-old DeVonte Nash, and their 9-month-old son were parked outside of an apartment complex near Northeast 122 nd and Siskiyou Street when a large tree branch snapped, pulling a powerline down onto their SUV and the street, the commission explained.
That’s when their neighbor, 18-year-old assistant daycare teacher Majiah Washington, saw a flash through her apartment window, and ran outside to see the downed powerline and a small fire under the car, which quickly extinguished.