One person has died after a crash on Main Street and Eggert Road, early Wednesday morning. Amherst Police have identified her as 75 year-old Helen Liebler. Liebler's son says she's better known as Sandy to her friends and family.
JUST IN: pedestrian struck after mass, taken to hospital with serious injuries. Female, middle age. Driver cooperating @WKBW pic.twitter.com/Q0wqq6aXl9
— Thuy Lan Nguyen (@ThuyLanWKBW) January 18, 2017
Police tell 7 Eyewitness News the accident was called in just before 7:30 a.m. Liebler was leaving morning mass at St. Benedict's when she was hit by a 36 year-old female driver. The driver is cooperating with police.
Liebler's son tells 7 Eyewitness News that Sandy was a retired math teacher who had taught for decades at the Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. It is believed that Liebler attended mass at St. Benedict's before heading to Sacred Heart to perform substitute teaching duties for the day.
Update fromamherst PD @ wkbw https://t.co/kRDS2AFrqD
— Thuy Lan Nguyen (@ThuyLanWKBW) January 18, 2017
The intersection was closed as a result of the crash.
Captain w/ Amherst PD says traffic will be impacted for at least 2 hours as investigation into pedestrian ax under investigation @WKBW pic.twitter.com/ohpMFXwHQf
— Thuy Lan Nguyen (@ThuyLanWKBW) January 18, 2017
It's unclear how the crash happened. Accident investigators closed the area on Eggert Road for nearly four hours while they recreated the accident scene. It's unclear what factors contributed to the crash.
Investigators now on scene to take photos. Shoes, personal items scattered about 10 yards from where car is stopped. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/hnTtFKpg1g
— Thuy Lan Nguyen (@ThuyLanWKBW) January 18, 2017
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates as we learn more information.
7 Eyewitness News Reporter Ed Reilly spent the day talking to people who knew Helen "Sandy" Liebler. She is described as a woman who had a passion for her Catholic Faith and helping others.
Throughout her teaching career, Liebler had taught at Bishop Neumann High School, St. Mary's in Lancaster, and spent most of her time teaching math at the Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart.
Liebler was extremely proud of her numerous grandchildren but also dedicated herself to helping her parish, St. Leo the Great in Amherst. Rev. Msgr. Robert Zapfel, the pastor and a close friend, said "she was a wonderful person who I knew since I was a teenager." The monsignor said her faith-based life was evident in the fact that Sandy Liebler was still trying to help children during her retirement years and died while going to the academy.
Ed Reilly has more about her life in his reports.
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