GREENBANK, Wash. — The day after Jordan Shelley was killed in a car crash on Seattle's Ship Canal Bridge, his mother, Teresa, recalled the day she met her adopted son at an Ethiopian orphanage.
She said it was love at first sight.
"Without any sort of reservation he just came running out of the orphanage and he just jumped on me and yelled, 'Mom!'" she said.
In Ethiopia, Jordan’s father had died. His family was poor, forcing his mother to beg on the streets.
When he arrived in America at 7 years old he was a fast learner.
Jordan graduated from Skagit Valley College at the age of 18. Upon his graduation in 2018, Jordan received a McIntyre scholarship, which afforded him a full ride to study medicine at the University of Washington.
Skagit Valley College President, Dr. Tom Keegan, told KING 5, “I am heartbroken. Jordan was such a bright light and a shining personality. His energy was infectious. He inspired many of us at the college, including his fellow students, faculty, and staff. My thoughts and prayers are with Jordan’s family."
His mom said Jordan hoped to become an anesthesiologist, so he could shield people from pain. Fittingly, Jordan's Ethiopian name loosely translated to "the one who helps."
Friends say Jordan earned a Bachelor's Degree in biochemistry after just two years at UW.
In his pursuit of a career in medicine Jordan was working as an EMT.
The company, American Medical Response, said he was on his way to work when his car broke down along Interstate 5 the morning of May 24. According to the Washington State Patrol, Shelley was standing outside his disabled vehicle on the Ship Canal Bridge when another vehicle hit Shelley's vehicle from behind. Shelley's vehicle was pushed forward, hitting Shelley and throwing him over the bridge's railing into the water below.
Divers recovered Jordan's body several hours later.
Barely 24 hours since her son’s tragic death, Teresa said she forgives the driver, in part, because Jordan would.
"Jordan was very quick to forgive, even more so than us," said Teresa. "That’s a huge lesson we’ve learned in this. Forgiveness can’t wait. You rush to forgive. We should all do that."
Jordan leaves behind his mom and dad along with six brothers and sisters – two of whom are his biological siblings from Ethiopia.
Their lives are shattered but their love is still very much intact.
"It doesn’t matter how many chairs are at our big family table," said Teresa. "It will always be obvious there is one missing."
The suspect in the crash made his first court appearance on Wednesday, May 25. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office argued he is a danger to the community and asked a judge to hold him on $100,000 bail. The judge agreed, finding probable cause for vehicular homicide.