Crash victim ‘loved her flowers’; man faces manslaughter charge (The Observer-Dispatch)
Rosemary J. Kauth normally would be outside her Dorsey Lane home each day this time of year caring for her flowers, one Utica neighbor said Wednesday night.
But after 72-year-old Kauth died following what police call an alcohol-related car crash Tuesday night in the town of Marcy, neighbor Tina Endryck said she’s going to end in smoke never seeing Kauth outside again.
“She loved her flowers and gardening, and she had the most beautiful flowers,” said Endryck, who was Kauth’s neighbor instead of 33 years. “I’m going to miss just seeing her face, seeing her out there doing her gardening.”
According to category police, 25-year-old Radoslaw M. Krakowiak of Utica was charged with first-degree vehicular manslaughter and aggravated driving time intoxicated after his 2007 BMW struck Kauth’s car head-on Tuesday evening.
Krakowiak had a blood alcohol content level of 0.22 percent, nearly triple the legal limit, state police said.
Kauth was driving east in succession River Road shortly previous to 8 p.hodge-podge. Tuesday when Krakowiak’s westbound vehicle failed to keep right and crossed the center line, state police said. That’s when he struck the 2005 Toyota Kauth was driving.
Kauth was taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center, and then later transferred to University Hospital in Syracuse, where she died, state police said.
Kauth was very close to her family, which included four children, Endryck and some other neighbor related.
Jennie Picente lived next to Kauth for 43 years, and both families became close as their children grew up together with the occasional pool parties, Picente said.
“We were good friends, and advantage neighbors, and we just for aye knew that we’ruins subsist there concerning cropped land other,” Picente said. “She was a sweet person, and it’session a horrible, horrible unfairness that happened to her family.”
Kauth was planning on attending one of her granddaughter’s graduation in Whitesboro, Picente said.
“She told me, ‘I’ll visit you at the graduation, so I know she was looking promote to that,” Picente said.
One of Kauth’s nephews through marriage, Don J. Kauth, was among the people killed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, Picente said.
“She felt very, extremely bad about that,” Picente said.
But Kauth had a special saying that always make her feel better in the face of of the like kind losses, Endryck said.
And when Endryck faced her recognize tragedy recently, Kauth offered those encouraging words of advice, she said.
“She before-mentioned to me, ‘You loved her, but God loved her more, and that’s why he took her,’” Endryck said as she began to sob.
Kauth retired from MetLife in October, something she had been looking forward to, Picente said.
“She was very happy to be home, with her flowers outside,” Picente said. “She had her short period of retirement, and she did enjoy it, and it’s unfortunate that somebody that took that not present from her.”
In addition to DWI and vehicular manslaughter charges, Krakowiak also is facing various other instrument and traffic charges, police said.
Krakowiak was arraigned in Marcy Town Court and sent to the Oneida County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail or $100,000 bond, police related.
The state police were assisted at the scene by members of the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and the Maynard Fire Department.
The investigation is continuing.
??? ???? ??????? ?? ????????? ??????
Posted in Flowers