A soldier was airlifted to Savannah after she was struck by a vehicle and thrown off her motorcycle Tuesday afternoon.

Theresa Ann Shannon was driving north on South Main Street near the rear entrance to Liberty Regional Medical Center when she was struck from the side by a Nissan truck, according to Hinesville Police Department Traffic Investigator Lt. Max McLendon.

The helicopter, which came from Waycross to airlift the woman to Savannah, landed in the middle of the Big Lots parking lot on Highway 84 and drew a crowd of curious onlookers.

Among the onlookers were Stephanie Jones and Kerri Hanson, women who came upon the crash scene and called police at 3:42 p.m. Monday to report the accident.

Jones and Hanson did not witness the collision, but they checked to see if the motorcycle driver was responsive and stayed on the scene, they said.

From what they say, “(Shannon) went on the hood and flipped over,” Hanson said.

“She just kept asking, ‘Please stop the pain,’ repeatedly,” Hanson said. “She couldn’t move.”

The driver of the truck did not get out of her vehicle and looked as though she was shaken, they said.

The driver, Valorie Greasham, was cited for failure to yield the right of way, according to Hinesville Traffic Accident Investigator Sgt. Mike Mooney.

He did not know the victim’s condition as of Wednesday.