An elderly Kalispell woman died Thursday afternoon after being struck by a GMC Suburban while she walked across Center Street in front of Kalispell Center Mall.

Somber shoppers watched as police marked the scattered locations of two black shoes, a cane, eyeglasses and debris from the collision after the woman had been transported by ambulance to Kalispell Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset said the name of the woman, who was in her 90s and a Kalispell resident, was being withheld pending notification of relatives.

Bruce Jones of Kalispell was driving behind the westbound Suburban on Center Street when the collision occurred just before 2 p.m.

“This elderly woman was just crossing the street and the guy ahead of me didn’t see her, I guess,” said Jones, who estimated the woman was thrown about 50 feet. “It was awful. My daughter is 12, and she saw it, too, and she’s all shook up.”

The first officer who arrived at the scene urgently called for help with traffic control at the busy intersection of Center Street and Second Avenue West, where there is no marked pedestrian crossing. Kalispell Ambulance responders administered CPR immediately after arriving.

Both lanes of Center Street were cordoned off with yellow police tape, and officers were questioning a middle-aged man who appeared to be the driver.

No citations have been issued, but the incident remains under investigation, said Nasset, adding that the name of the driver also is being withheld for now.

“We’re still very early in the investigative phase of this accident,” Nasset said. “The driver of the vehicle has been very cooperative, and until we get results back from blood tests, we’ll not make any statements as to whether any impairment was involved.”

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.