Volunteers from a local nonprofit are remembering one of their own, 74-year-old Sandra Mader, who was killed in a three-vehicle crash on Oracle Road, north of Catalina, on Saturday morning.
"She was just a gem, she was just a sweetheart," said Katie Beddingfield, a volunteer with Cody's Friends.
Sandra Mader, also referred to as Sandy, got involved with Cody's Friends Charity – a nonprofit that provides pet food and supplies to people in need – about five years ago.
She started sewing jackets for pets during the wintertime, then hundreds of sets of dog booties.
"We would literally be able to give out like 60 sets of dog booties to people in need over the course of a month," Beddingfield said.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a driver heading northbound on Oracle Rd. near milepost 88, allegedly ran a red light, hitting the side of a car, which was pushed into the side of a pickup truck.
Mader was pronounced dead at the scene.
Green Valley resident Cassandra Lee, the driver of the car allegedly at fault, admitted to using her phone while driving and allegedly crashed while putting a drink down, according to the interim complaint. She's being charged with manslaughter.
READ MORE HERE | Far Northside crash suspect admitted to distracted driving, per complaint
Volunteers at Cody’s Friends are holding on to Mader's last set of booties as they hope to figure out the pattern and continue what she started, in her honor.
"So many pups have been protected during the winter with her coats and so many pups that are able to walk on the roads in the summer because of her booties – while she was nameless to them, the impact that she made of their life is vital," said Amber Allen, director of Cody's Friends Charity.
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