A woman killed when she was hit by a garbage truck in Stillwater last week may have gone out to meet the driver with a plate of cookies, Stillwater Police Chief Brian Mueller said.
Margaret H. Peterson, 81, lived in the 900 block of Willard Street W. where the accident happened Tuesday morning, and knew garbage truck driver Nicholas J. Greeder, said her neighbor, Dennis Glock.
“She knows the guys so she would always make cookies,” Glock said.
A police investigation continues, but Mueller said “it appears to be a tragic accident.”
Peterson was a friendly neighbor who still mowed her own lawn and shoveled her two-car driveway, Glock said. She would turn down offers of help, joking that God might take her while she was working, but until then she would keep doing the chores herself.
“She was the neighbor who drove by and waved, someone who was always friendly,” he said.
A GoFundMe page said Peterson will be remembered “as a beacon of joy and generosity to all.”
“She was the first one to give you a hug upon entry to their home, ask about your life, and send you home with a bag of cookies whether you asked for them or not, she will be greatly missed by all,” the page read.
Peterson’s daughter died several years ago, and her grandson, Josh Pritchett, was living with her, according to the GoFundMe page.
Glock said neighbors were saddened as well for Greeder, the driver. The neighborhood knows him as a friendly presence who does a great job for them, he said. That was the sentiment as well on the Stillwater Police Facebook page, where Mueller shared a few details of the incident.
“The driver has been our garbage man for many, many years,” wrote Sarah Handley. “He is an incredibly kind man who I have seen go out of his way to help people in the neighborhood.”
“Nick Greeder is one of the kindest souls,” wrote Tracy Marie Castelluccio, sharing a story about how he helped free her car when it was stuck in her driveway after a snowstorm.
Mueller said he’s heard many of the same things from people as the department investigated what happened.
“He grew up in that neighborhood,” Mueller said. “He takes great pride in doing his job, and even picks up other trash he sees laying around. It’s just really horrific.”
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