Widow Donates $1,500 To Rescue Unit

The widow of a 70-year-old Rockford man who died from injuries suffered in a winter car accident has donated $1,500 from a civil settlement to the town’s fire department.

On Monday, Nadine Anderson presented Rockford Fire Chief Stan Seehorn with a check, saying she hoped the money would help the department pay for rescue equipment or training.

Anderson’s gift, which came from money the law firm that represented her set aside from its fee, was the largest the department has received from the family of a victim it has treated, Seehorn said.

Seehorn plans to talk with the department’s medics before he decides exactly how to spend the money but said it will be used to meet emergency medical equipment needs. Buying extrication equipment is one possibility, he said.

“It’s going to be a definite step forward,” Seehorn said.

Anderson chose the Rockford Fire Department over several other organizations because she said the donation would have the biggest impact on her community.

“Those guys up there the night of the wreck were absolutely super,” Anderson said. “This was the first time they’ve had to use their Jaws of Life.”

On Nov. 30, Gene and Nadine Anderson went grocery shopping and met friends for dinner at a restaurant near Pines Road and Mission Avenue. They were on their way home to Rockford when a northbound Chevrolet Blazer driven by an Oakesdale, Wash., woman crossed the center line on the slushy roadway and slammed into their Chevrolet Corsica.

Rescuers needed 45 minutes to cut Gene Anderson from the couple’s crumpled car. He died 10 days later at Deaconess Medical Center from the injuries suffered in the accident.

The donation Anderson made to the Rockford Fire Department was part of a settlement she received from Jennifer Strodtz, the driver of the Blazer. Neither Nadine Anderson nor Strodtz was seriously injured in the accident.

Baum, Etengoff and Buckley, the Vancouver, Wash., law firm that represented Anderson, sets aside $1,500 from its fee for donation to a charity or organization on behalf of the victim, said Loren Etengoff.

Anderson chose the Rockford Fire Department because the rural district does not have a lot of money for training and equipment.

“I’d rather keep it here in town,” she said. “The fire department and paramedics here need this.”

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