Local News
TOWN OF LOCKPORT: Searching for answers in pedestrian's death
TOWN OF LOCKPORT — A day after a woman was killed by a state snowplow as she walked across Dysinger Road, Niagara County sheriff’s investigators disclosed that the pedestrian was legally blind and had alcohol in her system.
However, Chief Deputy Steven Preisch cautioned Tuesday that “until the autopsy comes back, we cannot say for sure if her drinking impaired her judgment.”
Investigators also sought to determine if other factors, such as lack of sidewalks or inadequate lighting in the 6500 block of Dysinger, may have contributed to the accident that took the life of Joyce M. Garvey, 44.
Sheriff James R. Voutour said the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preisch said Garvey’s husband, Dennis, and son, Ryan, told police minutes after the accident that they had been
worried about her crossing the road.
“They said they told her not to go by herself, but she did anyway,” Preisch said.
“She was upset due to the amount of tax return she was getting and left to go get last year’s to compare it,” Preisch said.
Preisch said the truck driver, James Stymus, was cooperative with authorities, and investigators are still examining the truck for any malfunctions.
“He consented to us taking his phone to see if it was being used during the accident,” Preisch said. He also said Stymus consented to drug and alcohol tests, which came back negative.
No charges were filed against him, Preisch said.
Preisch said the driver of the truck was salting the street and had the plow up.
A neighbor, Kyle Alexander, commented after the accident Monday that he was concerned about the lack of safe places on the road for pedestrians to walk.
“It’s a shame there are no sidewalks on this road,” Alexander told the US&J.;
Other neighbors, fellow residents of Garvey’s at the Sprucewood Apartments, were mourning her loss.
One woman hung her head and wiped tears from her eyes when asked if she knew Joyce Garvey.
Another neighbor, Chris Sattelberg, said he never met anyone like her.
“I knew her for almost a year,” Sattelberg said. “She was a very caring, giving and supportive person.”
Sattelberg said she took him in like a son and rooted for him while he was attending Niagara County Community College for Culinary Arts.
“She loved to cook, too,” he said. “But her vision impairment prevented her from furthering an education in food.”
Sattelberg said he would make an apple crisp dessert for Joyce and Dennis Garvey during the holidays, and especially bonded with her when he learned Joyce had a vision impairment like his.
Other neighbors standing in the hall of the apartment building said Joyce Garvey was a “huge” Bills fan.
“You could always hear her through the walls, cheering on her team,” Sattelberg said.
Visiting hours for Joyce Garvey are 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, with a service to follow, at Childs Funeral Home, 10 Eckerson Ave., Akron.
Memorials may be made to the New York State Association of the Blind.
Contact reporter Britney Milazzo at 439-9222, ext. 6251.
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