Friends mourn woman, 57, killed in Cherry Hill crash

A driver killed in a Cherry Hill crash Thursday was identified as a Cinnaminson woman whom neighbors and friends described as a wonderful friend and mother.

Gail Walsh, 57, of Sussex Drive, was pronounced dead at the scene after a dump truck filled with sand overturned atop her Lexus SUV on Haddonfield-Berlin Road near Morris Drive.

As police continued to investigate the cause of the accident, friends recalled Walsh as a dedicated advocate for autism research and awareness.

She is survived by her husband, Dan, and two sons, Cody, 16, and Dillon, 19, both of whom are autistic. The couple were to celebrate their 37th anniversary on Valentine's Day.

"She is incredible," said Brian Sever, a friend and therapist for the sons, who attend the Kingsway Learning Center in Moorestown.

"No matter what happens during the day, it's the warmest place. It's a home whether it's your house or not," Sever said while visiting the family Friday. "Her network of friends and family was never-ending."

Sever said the Walsh family members had a constant flow of caregivers in their lives, and their daily routines operated like a machine.

The family coordinated fund-raisers for Autism Speaks, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and money to research the disorder.

The Walsh family called their team Double Trouble, and since 2007 the family has raised more than $83,000, said Christina Carty, executive director of the Delaware Valley chapter of Autism Speaks.

"We called upon them quite a bit," Carty said, recalling the family's presence at an international conference in Philadelphia two years ago, when Cody and Dillon interacted with researchers studying ways to improve technology for those with verbal limitations.

Kathi Alven of Palmyra, said she had been friends with Walsh since the fourth grade, when the two were safety patrol officers.

They graduated from Palmyra High School in 1973 and Walsh met her husband shortly afterward. Dan Walsh and his brother own a plastics manufacturing business in Philadelphia.

The Walshes had an older son with severe disabilities who died at age 27 about five years ago, Alven said. Although a "dark cloud" seemed to follow the family, Alven said, Walsh remained optimistic and spent much time planning for her sons' futures.

"She could have given up a long time ago, but she didn't," said Alven, who recently nominated Walsh for a volunteerism award for women in Burlington County.

Shortly before noon Thursday, Walsh was heading east in her SUV on Haddonfield-Berlin Road to a doctor's appointment. The truck was heading west when the driver, identified as Ezequiel Rivera, 40, of Camden, took evasive action as a vehicle turned left from Morris onto Haddonfield-Berlin, said Lt. Sean Redmond.

"The load must have shifted and the truck tipped," Redmond said. "It's just horrible."

Police have not released the name of the third driver, pending investigation. There is a traffic signal at that intersection and authorities were trying to determine who had the right-of-way at the time. Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call Cherry Hill police's traffic safety department at 856-488-7820.

Visitation is between 7 and 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Weber Funeral Home, 112 Broad St., Riverton, and from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday at Epworth United Methodist Church, 501 Morgan Ave., Palmyra, with a service to follow.

Donations may be made to Autism Speaks, Greater Delaware Valley Chapter, 216 Haddon Ave., Suite 403, Westmont, N.J. 08108.