Byfield mourns loss of beloved greenhouse worker in weekend crash
BYFIELD -- The family of 47-year-old Susan Sforza Nico, a Byfield farm stand employee killed in a car accident last weekend, is asking the public to show support by buying the flowers she grew.
Nico lived in Seabrook, New Hampshire.
"But her heart was here," said Ann Uppington, a longtime customer. "The father and the grandfather were involved in farming and gardening, and she's sort of taken on the mantle."
Byfield is a tiny village in the small town of Newbury.
The Byfield Greenhouse and Garden Center had recently reopened for the spring and is beloved in the community.
Monday, repairs were underway at the family farm stand, which is temporarily closed. Police say an SUV inexplicably accelerated in reverse, ramming into the spot where Nico was working around the checkout area.
"When you're personally involved, and you know these people, it's so very sad," said Stephen Denno, a longtime customer who knows Nico's family. "It's just hard to believe, and to not see her in the store every day, it's such a sad thing, such a freak accident. It's just, it's awful."
Nico's family posted a statement on social media, saying, "What would honor Susan and help us most is to sell the beautiful plants that Susan and Charlie cultivated and grew. Please help us by buying your plants here so that we can sell quickly and have our time to grieve and heal."
The two others injured in the crash were a 57-year-old man and an 8-year-old girl. They were taken to the hospital.
The 70-year-old driver behind the wheel of the SUV is not facing charges at this point.