Remembering Chelsea Hacker: The Tragic Loss of a Life Cut Short in Tonawanda Car Crash
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVQ) — Chelsea Hacker, who worked as a nurse and had a deep affection for dogs, along with being very artistic, was named by her good friend as the individual whose life was abruptly ended after an accident that occurred Monday On the Twin Cities Memorial Highway.
According to City of Tonawanda Police, the 30-year-old woman died after her vehicle was rear-ended by another driver around 5:15 p.m. on Monday. She was transported to DeGraff Memorial Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
Hacker started her nursing journey at a private clinic during the wintertime in 2020, meeting her friend Jackie DiFlavio there.
“We became super close,” DiFlavio said. “Even after we both had quit that job, we stayed in touch every single day up until yesterday.”
On the evening of the accident, the two young women intended to go to a Pilates session together at Hype Fitness Studio in downtown Buffalo, yet Hacker failed to appear.
Concerned, DiFlavio checked her friend’s location, which showed that her phone was at the police station. The next morning, Hacker’s boyfriend called DiFlavio and told her the news.
“I was speechless when he informed me about her passing,” DiFlavio stated. “Initially, I had no idea how to respond. It’s still hard to believe since we were chatting just yesterday.”
DiFlavio described their friendship as an instant connection. They would Snapchat eachother photos daily and had started hanging out often in the last few months.
She simply vanished out of nowhere," DiFlavio stated. "I keep sending her stuff, but it's surreal to consider that she'll never receive these items. The thought of not hearing from her ever again is haunting me, as well as knowing we won’t cross paths anymore.
DiFlavio shared that Hacker was beyond creative and had a passion for painting. She loved dogs, owning a German shepherd herself and having spent plenty of time with her boyfriend’s two golden retrievers.
According to her obituary , Hacker was a “a bundle of life — curious, joyful, and full of heart. She poured herself into everything she did.”
She worked as a nurse at Buffalo General Hospital and was honored with an excellence in nursing award.
Hacker is survived by her mother, father and four siblings. In lieu of flowers, family members are asking for memorials to be made to the SPCA Serving Erie County.
As of early Tuesday morning, no charges had been brought against the driver.
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Trina Catterson became part of the News 4 team in 2024. Before joining them, she was employed at WETM-TV in Elmira, which is affiliated with WIVB as a sister station. Check out more of her contributions here. here .
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