Towanda is reeling after Valerie Shrader, 45, died Saturday following a motorcycle crash on Route 220 in Ulster Township, Bradford County. Neighbors say Shrader was well known in town — warm, steady, someone who showed up for family and friends. Her sudden death left a hush over a place that still feels small enough to count everyone’s losses.
State police say the motorcycle had a steering problem while making a left turn on Route 220. The bike left the road and entered a drainage ditch, throwing Shrader and the 43‑year‑old man who was riding with her from the bike. Both were wearing helmets and protective gear when they were ejected.
Emergency crews rushed both to a nearby hospital. Shrader succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The male rider suffered serious injuries and remains hospitalized in stable condition, officials said.
Friends and family remembered Shrader as devoted and present — the neighbor who brought a pie, the cousin who answered a late-night call. That ordinary kindness is what people keep coming back to when they talk about her, and it’s left the town feeling a little colder now that she’s gone.
Authorities are investigating the crash to determine exactly what caused the steering failure and whether any other factors played a role. Troopers are collecting evidence and piecing together the moments before the bike went off the road.
In Towanda, arrangements and tributes are still being organized. People in Shrader’s circle have gathered to support one another, sharing memories and offering quiet prayers as they try to come to terms with a life cut short in a single afternoon.
