Thursday, September 9th, 2010
Woman struck and killed while walking along lake
By Shelley Grieshop
ST. MARYS - A 42-year-old St. Marys woman died Wednesday night after she was struck by a pickup truck while walking along Grand Lake near her home.
Nancy A. Hertenstein, 42, was pronounced dead at Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, where she was taken by CareFlight helicopter.
The driver of the truck, Bradly O. Sawmiller, 16, also of St. Marys, was not injured. The crash remains under investigation by the Wapakoneta post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
According to the report, Hertenstein was walking westbound on Parkway Drive - a street that runs parallel to the shore of Grand Lake - at 7:13 p.m. Sawmiller reportedly was driving a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado west, just west of Southway Drive, when the truck struck Hertenstein.
Her death marks the fourth traffic fatality this year in Auglaize County. Assisting at the scene were the St. Marys police and fire departments, the Auglaize County Sheriff's Office and the Auglaize County EMA.
Hertenstein, a childcare provider, is survived by her husband, Scott, and four children, Travis, Tyler, Brooke and Bethany, who range in age from an eighth-grade student at Holy Rosary Elementary School to a college freshman.
Amy Dues, parish secretary for Holy Rosary Church in St. Marys, said Hertenstein was an active member and volunteer for the parish and Catholic school.
"She was very outgoing and very organized," she said. "I don't know how we're going to replace her."
Hertenstein, a 1983 graduate of St. Marys Memorial High School, was in charge of training and scheduling Mass servers at the church. She also taught Baptism classes for new parents and handled numerous fundraisers, Dues said.
"She took charge and got things done," she said.
Dues described Hertenstein as a wonderful mother who doted on her family.
"Her world revolved around her kids," she added.
