REUTERS/Handout
Two weeks after the crash, the San Mateo County Coroners' Office said that 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan was alive and on the ground when she was hit by an emergency vehicle rushing to help the plane's passengers.
The firefighter, 49-year-old Elyse Duckett, could not see Ye, who was covered with fire fighting foam, so she is considered not at fault for hitting her, prosecutors determined, according to the SMCT.
In July, San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said the aftermath of the crash "was a volatile, dangerous situation," and that emergency responders "made a valiant effort" to save lives.
"I consider it a tragic accident," she said.
304 of the 307 people on board the Boeing 777 survived the crash. Dozens were injured.