LEHIGHTON -- A walk for breast cancer awareness in Carbon County took on an even more somber feeling as the event was dedicated to a woman who died in a car crash this past Friday.
Linda Benner was the organizer of the Lehighton Lioness Lions Club Breast Cancer Walk and Tuesday night the walk was held in her honor.
It was an army in pink that came marching down the streets of Lehighton for the annual Lehighton Lioness Lions club Breast Cancer Walk.
But this year's walk isn't only raising awareness about breast cancer; it's honoring one of the event's organizers, Linda Benner, who was killed in a car crash just days ago.
“This was the pet project of Linda and Jane Longazel for many years so we're dedicating this walk to Linda in her memory,” said club member Lisa Whitehead.
“Linda and myself were motivated towards bringing this activity eight years ago was the number of survivors that we do have in our club, currently we have five survivors of breast cancer,” said co-organizer Jane Longazel.
Police say Linda and her passenger, Bonita Aniskevich, both died after Linda's car crashed into the mountainside along Route 209 in Mahoning Township near Jim Thorpe. Police say it happened in the early hours of Friday morning, September 27, after the women left a concert in Jim Thorpe. Neither woman was wearing seatbelts.
Linda's sudden death has stunned members of this club.
“I was on the verge of shock because my wife came in the room and said 'did you hear about the accident and I said what accident?'” said club member Dale Reeder.
Friends here say Linda also served her home community as a Mahoning Township Supervisor. They say she was a person committed to helping others and her loss will be felt greatly.
“We would not have expected that, Linda's the kind of person you would have figured would have gone into her 90’s,” said Longazel.
Police are still investigating the deadly crash but believe speed was not a factor.