HAWLEY-- A free spirit who loved to be on the water.
That is how friends are remembering Vanessa Van Gorder, who died after crashing her vehicle Christmas night.
Troopers say Van Gorder was driving on Owego Turnpike when she lost control, hit a ditch, and rolled over. Van Gorder was ejected from the vehicle and came to rest on an adjacent driveway.
Police are still investigating what caused the crash. Friends say Van Gorder was coming from a Christmas celebration.
Van Gorder's family owns three local furniture stores where workers say she helped out from time to time. She also worked on and off for 7 years at The Boathouse near Hawley.
"She was one of those people who made other people laugh, when she would start she wouldn't stop, that is what I will miss about her, it was such an infectious laugh," says manager Eric Mitschele.
He adds,"She is not going to be replaced ever, it's going to take a long time to get over this for everybody."
The crash happened in front of Ricky and Melissa Cosgrove's home. When the couple first saw all of the emergency crews they worried their home had caught fire, but then they got closer and saw what happened.
"There were parts of the car all over the driveway,there was a couple up in the tree, then we kind of realized it was a bad accident," says Ricky Cosgrove.
The news was even worse when Melissa learned who had been behind the wheel. Van Gorder and her family had been long-time clients at the salon where she worked as a hair dresser. For two decades Melissa had watched Vanessa grow up.
"She had grown into a beautiful young woman,"she said adding,"She always makes laugh, I have just watched grow, watched her go to school, go to college, graduate."
