Welcome to Sandi's Story.
Meet Sandi
Sandi was born and reared in southeastern Ohio. She is the third of four daughters. Sandi's family was very close. Sandi, her sisters and parents were always there for one another. She was certainly not the easiest child to raise but she matured into a wonderful, caring lady. She was everyone's confidant, referee, shoulder to cry on, babysitter, friend, loving daughter, sister, aunt and wife. She was the person you could count on to help at any time. She was always there for friends and family. She was everyone's counselor. I don't now how she managed to do so much for so many; but, she did and she never complained.
Sandi was very loving and forgiving. She never wanted to upset anyone or hurt their feelings. In fact, she was always apologizing for not being able to do more and for things that, in her mind, may have hurt or upset someone. She once told me that she did not want to do anything that would keep her from going to heaven, so she did not want to hurt anyone.
From the time Sandi was born, she was full of energy, fun and mischief. Sandi was the one who always got the unusual illnesses. She was diagnosed with cancer of the right eye at age 5. The eye specialist at a local children's hospital diagnosed her with cancer inside her eye. He had her evaluated at Grand Rounds at the Ohio State University Hospital. However, by the time that she was seen at Grand Rounds, the many physicians could not see the cancer. They determined that a parasite had gotten into her bloodstream and latched onto the retina. The original physician was so certain that he had seen a cancer in that eye that hehad her undergo numerous exams under anesthesia for several years. But no sign of the cancer returned. We believe that through prayers and a strong faith in God she was healed. She was left blind in the right eye. But, she did not let that stop her from doing anything that she wanted. She never considered her self handicapped in any way.
Sandi was the kind of person that when she entered the room, the room lit up. If you were crying, she would have you in tears of laughter within minutes. Sandi loved to tease, laugh, dance, believed stongly in angels hovering around us, God, loved children, family traditions and believed in family unity. She loved and accepted everyone for whom they were and appreciated their rights and differences. She never let anything stop her from doing what she wanted. Eventhough she was blind in one eye, she played softball, volleyball, was in band, played tennis, loved to swim, went snow skiiing (and blew our her ACL), rode her own motorcycle, went scuba diving in Hawaii, horseback riding, reenacted with a French and Indian War group, and so many more things. She always put 100% into anything she did.
Sandi wanted go to school to be a police officer. Unfortunately, because of her blind eye, she was told she could not fulfill this dream. So, she decided to attend Ohio Univeristy where she earned a degree in sociology with a focus on criminology and a minor in psychology. She worked fulltime while attending college. Sandi never asked us for any money to help with her education.
Sandi started working at the age of sixteen. Her goal in life was to help people. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone. Her first major job was with women with substance abuse problems. She also wanted to join the Peace Corps. While waiting on placement with the Peace Corps, she started working at SEPTA. A residential correctional facility where she was a Primary Counselor for felons who had been convicted of crimes that involved drugs, alcohol and/or sex abuse.
During this time, Walt's, her boyfriend, parents became terminally ill. His father died suddenly after only a two weeks' illness. After that she helped him keep his mother home with hospice, suffering from a rare cancer, until she passed just eight months later. While helping to care for Walt's parents, she received a letter from the Peace Corp with a couple of possible assignments. She decided her place was with Walt, her boyfriend of six years. He had no close family except a brother who lived in Michigan, one aunt in California, and two uncles who lived locally.
Sandi lived at home until she was married. She did not believe in living together before marriage. She would go to Walt's house at 7 a.m. to care for his mother so that he could continue to teach at a local middle school. So that she could go to work, a friend would relieve her for a couple of hours in the afternoon until Walt got home.
In September, just weeks after his mother passed, Walt pulled his Harley into Lowe's parking lot and proposed to Sandi (a real romantic)! They were married the following June. Their honeymoon was a 1500 mile motorcycle trip up the east coast, into Canada, Michigan and back to Ohio. In addition to riding they were also members of a French and Indian War reenactment group. When they weren't reenacting, they were riding. Maybe I should say 'when they weren't riding they were reenacting.'
Sandi's job was very stressful. She had decided that she wanted to work with children to help keep them from reaching places like SEPTA. She started seeking another job and applying to graduate schools to obtain a degree to counsel children. She said she thought if she could get to children at a younger age, she could keep them from becoming felons and ending up in jail or prison.
Sandi rode her 1985 Harley to relieve stress. She said she felt free when riding. She said that was the only time she could completely forget about all the stress she had to deal with.
On June 1, 2003, a bright, sunny Sunday afternoon, exactly two weeks before Sandi and Walt's first wedding anniversary, Sandi was killed by a careless driver, Sandi and Walt had gone riding and out to lunch with a friend. Sandi left them to travel Route 32 West from Athens to Jackson, Ohio, to meet her parents, three sisters, and ten nieces and nephews at the movies to watch Finding Nemo. She never arrived.
Less than fifteen minutes after leaving her husband and friend, a man driving a pick-up truck crossed four lanes of barren highway into the path of her 1985 Harley. She was unable to avoid the crash. She was traveling west on over 1000 feet of straight, unobstructed roadway. He was traveling north on unobstructed roadway.
The motorist said he stopped at the stop sign, proceeded to the center, stopped again then proceeded to cross the last two lanes. He said he didn't see her until it was too late. There was no speed, drugs, or alcohol involved. Sandi's bike was in good working order. Her lights were on. She had had additional chrome and work done on the bike approximately three weeks earlier. There were no witnesses to the crash. According to the investigator, she was traveling about 45 mph, the truck was going approximately 11 -13 mph. The investigator said there was no way that she could have avoided the crash. She did not have time to react. Sandi died within seconds of a broken neck.
The truck driver was was convicted of second degree vehicular manslaughter. This offender was going to be fined $75. Sandi's husband questioned the amount of the fine. The victim's advocate said "you're not happy with this?" He took it back to the Prosecutor, after Walt said he thought his wife was worth more than $75. The Prosecutor increased the fine to $150. His comment was "we have to be fair to the defendant." He looked me straight in the eye then proceeded into the courtroom where the judge gave the offender a sentence of : $650 fine ($500 suspended), 90 day jail term (suspended), 60 day license suspension, 2 years non-reporting probation, and two years mental health counseling.
Approximately six weeks before the fatal crash, Sandi had come slamming into our home, visibly shaken and very angry. A motorist had pulled out in front of her on Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street in Wellston. She was trembling, angry and inconsolable. At that time she said that something had to be done about motorists who pull into the paths of motorcyclists. She said "they do it all the time. They do not have any respect for motorcyclists' rights. They don't consider the danger they put us in by pulling into our path." She went on to say that motorists who do not ride or do not have loved ones who ride, do not understand how motorcycles are operated and/or what to expect from responsible motorcyclists. She said she wanted to start or become involved with a motorcyclist awareness program in Ohio. She wanted to see more instruction in driving education classes and billboards along the highways to remind motorists to watch for motorcyclists. She also said all motorists need to be held responsible for their actions, the lives that are lost and the pain and suffering caused because of motorists not honoring the right-of-way of motorcyclists and others.
That is why we are here. Our family will never be complete again. Our family's lives and those of our friends have been changed forever. We don't want this to happen to you or your loved ones because of a careless act that should never have happened. No one should suffer loss of life, serious injury or the loss of a loved one due to carelessness.
Some of Sandi's friends came to us shortly after her death to ask if it was okay to put up a billboard with her picture to remind motorists to watch for motorcyclists. At that time, we just could not do it. However, a few months later we just could NOT do it. This was exactly the type of act that Sandi had wanted to help prevent when she was living. Why not let her do it now? We started this program in Sandi's memory to help save the lives that Sandi wanted to help protect.
With the help of concerned motorcyclists, their families and friends, we are able to continue to promote motorcyclist and bicyclist awareness to local driving education classes, rent billboards, and put up this web site to remind motorists and motorcyclists to watch for one another.
Respect the rights of others. Respect life.
Please drive safely. Watch for motorcyclists. They watch for you. Lives depend on all motorists staying alert to their surroundings.