REMEMBERED AT RIDE FOR SILENCE: Chantel Worley’s mother to speak at May 17 memorial
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LEWISTOWN -- It's been nearly four months since Patricia Worley lost her daughter, Chantel, in a tragic vehicle accident. In many regards, it feels like yesterday; in others, it seems as though it's already been an eternity.
"If it wasn't for work, I would have probably lost my mind," said the Lewistown woman and mother of four who works at a United Cerebral Palsy group home in Lewistown. "I'm lucky I have a job to go to to keep my mind off it.
"I have her picture as a screensaver on my phone, so I see it everyday and remember it all over again," she added.
Chantel, 29, who was homeless and living in the Harrisburg area at the time, died from injuries sustained in an accident on Dec. 27, 2022. She was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer around 6:15 p.m. while riding her bike, according to police.
She was taken to a Cumberland County hospital, where she died.
Chantel will be remembered at a special memorial, "Ride for Silence," for bicyclists who have been killed in vehicle accidents. Patricia has been asked to say something on her behalf. The memorial is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17, on the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol, 501 N. Third St., Harrisburg.
"I'm excited to speak," Patricia said. "At the first one (memorial) in Harrisburg, I said a lot."
There was another memorial held at the Salvation Army in Lewistown where Patricia didn't say much "other than to thank everyone for coming," she recalled.
Patricia also hopes to have the chance to see her young granddaughter.
"I've been doing OK," she said. "Luckily, I have a lot of support."
Patricia recently received a ghost bicycle from the makeshift memorial near the accident scene from Brandon Basom, an advocate for safer streets in Harrisburg. The bicycle was used as a marker to indicate where the accident took place.
Basom spoke out in the media, voicing concerns to elected officials about more people getting hurt as traffic increases on Cameron Street. Both Basom and Patricia are frustrated and angry about the deaths that have occurred.
"They've been trying to get that road fixed since 2017," Patricia said. "It's a very busy intersection. There was another death - either another cyclist or a pedestrian right before Chantel's accident. It seems like somebody's always getting hurt there.
"Chantel was on the crosswalk with her bike," she added. "Somehow, she didn't see the truck and the truck did not see her, and the accident happened."
Although Chantel and her boyfriend were living in Harrisburg's tent cities, near the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation building, she was looking forward to having her own apartment and taking care of her daughter herself someday.
"Chantel could have lived at home, but her boyfriend was not allowed," Patricia said. "I would have let her stay here in a heartbeat. I have two younger children, so I had to make the hard decision."
Tough love with family members is never easy.
"I did not want the younger ones seeing her being disrespectful and not following the rules," she added.
With the help from members of a Harrisburg-area church, Chantel got Christmas gifts for her 3-year-old daughter and was excited to give them to her.
Those dreams never came to fruition.
"The one good thing that gives me comfort is that she was attending church and getting back into her faith," Patricia said. "She had two bracelets on her wrist when she was tragically killed."
There was a Bible verse from Jeremiah 29:11 that read, "For I know the plans I have for you," declared the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future."
"The coroner gave them to me, and I had one of them fixed and I can wear it," Patricia added. "I will see her again one day and know I'll be with her again one day."
Chantel's obituary read, "She was a free spirit, who loved listening to Janis Joplin, reading and expressing her beautiful voice through singing. She was an artistic soul that loved doing hair and makeup, and even creating her own clothing."
As a child, Chantel loved going to gymnastics at the Juniata Valley YMCA, cheerleading and she was very active in her church youth group. "She also loved the movie, "The Wizard of Oz," Patricia said. "Every time I see that, I think of her. She liked sunflowers, too."
She was a big Stephen King fan.
Patricia said her daughter has ancestors from the Aluet tribe of Alaska, which "we were extremely proud of her native heritage." Her grandfather was "100 percent Alaska native or eskimo," she added.
Chantel is deeply missed every minute of every day by all her family and friends. "She always treated people kindly," Patricia said. "Her bubbly personality, confidence, resilience and sweet nature will never be forgotten."
Beside her mother, Chantel is survived by her father, Frank Forshey Jr.; two sisters, Madchen (Worley) Bronson and Ava Worley; and one brother, Dayson Worley.
"Her father Frank just told me the other day that when he talks to me, it's like he's having a conversation with our baby girl because Chantel's voice sounds so much like mine," Patricia said. "It made my day to know how much we do sound alike."