Laura Rothfuss

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Laura Rothfuss
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Age: 24

Location:
E125th st at Park Ave
New York City , NY
United States

Laura was biking westbound on 125th street when her bike was clipped by the driver of a taxi from behind. She was fatally run over by the driver of a second cab who is quoted in the news as blaming her for the crash.

A photo published in the Daily News shows her bike broken into pieces from the impact.

The crash was also discussed by Gothamist DNAinfo & NY Post

(The comments in the above articles are not recommended reading)

A memorial page remembered her as a young and promising designer, full of life and laughter.

Rio Hamilton, Director of Sales and Marketing at
Niedermaier (pictured here with Laura), described her as the coolest
person he knows. "She was the type to greet you with a dimpled smile
while simultaneously twinkling her blue eyes," he said. "Laura had an
infectious laugh and wonderful wit. She loved people from all walks of
life and they loved her."

"Laura was truly the sweetest loving being," said Barbara Viteri, owner of Viteri Style Management, in a Facebook post. "I would have done anything for her to make her smile; she was so authentic."

According to her brother Jason, Laura as very adventurous, outgoing
and spontaneous. She loved being outdoors and bicycling and she always
said, "her bike was her boyfriend."

She was also profiled in this article in the Buffalo News

Laura E. Rothfuss grew up in Elma, but life took her to New York
City, where she went to design school and was just starting her career.

“She
was adventurous,” said her brother, Jason. “None of our family had ever
been to New York City, but she decided to move out there – and made it
happen.”

That’s where Rothfuss, 24, was tragically killed Thursday
night when she was struck by a taxicab while bicycling across 125th
Street in East Harlem.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday in Lancaster Community Baptist Church, 520 Ransom Road.

Laura was the youngest of four children in the family of Rick and Martha Rothfuss.

In
2007, she graduated from Iroquois High School, where she played soccer,
then went on to attend SUNY Buffalo State, where she played rugby, her
brother said.

After college, she moved to New York City to attend
the New York School of Interior Design. She earned her master’s degree
from the school last spring, her brother said.

Laura had been in
the process of switching jobs and was starting work in her field as an
interior designer with a furniture company, he added.

Her family is still trying to learn more about what happened.

“Police really haven’t told us much information,” Jason Rothfuss said Saturday night.

He talked a little about his sister.

Laura
was outgoing and spontaneous. She loved being outdoors and bicycling.
She loved playing with her two nieces. She and her family attended
Lancaster Community Baptist Church, and Laura had a strong faith, her
brother said.

Laura had gotten quite familiar with New York, and
she showed her family how to get around the big city during their
visits. Her father went to see her just a couple of months ago, and the
two enjoyed riding bikes through the city streets, her brother said.

Though she liked New York, her brother said, “I know she missed home.”

Besides
her parents and brother Jason, survivors include another brother,
Joshua; a sister, Alicia; and grandparents Norbert and Rita Gabel and
Dorothy Reichert.

Laura's obituary can be read here