Sandwich shop workers stunned by 2d teen's death

Megan Neiswender, 17, lived about a mile from the Subway sandwich shop in Cherry Hill where she worked part time.

She often walked there from her house in Pennsauken, each time crossing busy Haddonfield Road on her way to the shop on Church Road opposite the Cherry Hill Mall, coworkers said.

On Tuesday afternoon, Neiswender was struck and killed by a pickup truck shortly after 1 p.m. as she tried to cross. She died six hours later at Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

The driver of the truck was not hurt, and he has not been charged in the accident. Police are still investigating the accident.

Neiswender's death shocked her seven coworkers, who, for the second time this year, were faced with the death of a member of their small team.

Felicia Mikels, 17, a single mother from Pennsauken who was beaten to death in January, also worked at the Subway shop. Mikels' body was dumped in Pennsauken Creek, police said. Her uncle Christopher Mikels and his friend Douglas Mandichak were charged with murder.

"It's been horrible," said Kevin Olson, the store manager, who said several teenage employees at the store were close with Neiswender, who had worked there for a year and a half. "I've been in management most of my life and never had someone who passed away."

Neiswender, who was home-schooled, was cheerful, friendly and hardworking, Olson said.

She liked to listen to music and watch the television shows Smallville and Lost, recalled assistant manager Cindy Burke.

"She liked to go to the mall with her friends, play around on the computer," Burke said. "Things all of us like to do at that age."

Olson said Neiswender had planned to attend college in the fall.

"It probably won't really hit us until her funeral," he said. "I think we're all still in shock."