A local man is mourning the death of his wife who was killed Wednesday night in a tragic crash.
David Winkelspecht and Cynthia Buss-Finley were walking along a sidewalk on Charleston east of Marion when a car swerved off the street and hit them.
"It's just one of those things that shouldn't have happened," Winkelspecht said.
A 19-year-old man was driving the car. There was also a 15-year-old in the passenger seat.
Police say they don't believe the teen had been drinking, but he may have been speeding.
Cynthia's friends were in shock as they paid their respects Thursday at a memorial David set up.
"We know she's in a better place," said Barbara Prince, a close friend of the couple's. "We know that."
Through tears, David spoke of the tragic section of road as a problem area.
"They speed up and down the street often, every day, every day and we see accident after accident," he said.
"I have to lose my wife to get a crosswalk?"
They would walk here every day, he says, never thinking they'd be unsafe on the sidewalk.
"We thought we were close enough to where we could get away at the gateway but it was not possible," Winkelspecht said.
He was taken to the hospital and released with minor injuries.
The couple was married in April.
At a vigil Thursday night, family members said Cynthia battled addiction for years before turning her life around.
"She might not have been the best mom in the past, but we mended and my mom was a really good person," said daughter Terri Lehmann.
Loved ones said the 53 year-old encouraged everyone she met to attend Sunday services at a nearby church.
"This couple, they go through a lot of trials in their life," said Robert Aquino, pastor of Jesus Is Lord Church, "and when they came in our church they experienced more the love of God."
Ivan Boyd said she impacted many lives in the community.
"She helped me come closer to god they forced me to go to church," said Boyd.
