Help Susan Schaeffer: Bay Bridge Crash Home Damage

Dear Friends, Family, and Community Members,

In the quiet of a Sunday night, January 14th, a startling incident shattered the peace in our neighborhood. Susan Schaeffer, a cherished member of our community, faced a harrowing experience when a car, losing control after exiting the Bay Bridge, flew from the overpass and hurtled into her apartment at the historic Clocktower building. We are grateful that no one was fatally injured. Yet the impact of this accident leaves Susan in dire need of our support.

At the sound of a crash outside, Susan ran to lift the window shade to see if she needed to call 911. Moving toward the window, she saw that sparks were flying between the gap of the shade and the window, and then she heard and felt an earth-shaking boom that made her instinctively turn away in retreat. Once the noises had stopped, she turned around to see that the force of the collision had blown out her windows, scattering debris and car parts through her living space, and coating everything with lead dust, motor oil, splintered wood, and shattered glass. Pieces of the historic window frames, the lead counterweights in the sashes and the window shades were hurled across the room with enough force to penetrate the wall. The tranquility of her home was replaced by chaos, rendering it uninhabitable.

Susan’s home is her sanctuary. It is a space that has been curated over years to reflect her passion and creativity. This is the second time in less than five years that Susan’s sanctuary has been breached by forces out of her control. The second time she has been forced to grab her beloved cats in search of shelter for an extended period. The first time she navigated the system fueled by anger and frustration when an occupant on the 3rd floor, in a moment of boredom during COVID thought it would be fun to play with a BB gun – hit a sprinkler head and flooded Susan’s home with black water. This time it is traumatic and overwhelming.

Once again, Susan faces the daunting task of rebuilding her life amidst the ruins of her home. Many of her furnishings and belongings are damaged beyond repair. Some of the losses will be covered by insurance, but many will not. Her personal artwork and other irreplaceable items are destroyed.

The road to recovery is fraught with challenges, including:

Financial Strain: Susan is burdened with an insurance deductible and the loss of income due to the disruption of her work, two significant losses that won’t be reimbursed by insurance. The disruption to Susan’s work also threatens the survival of the nonprofit startup that Susan founded and kept afloat during COVID using her personal finances. She has no reserves left to cover relocation and or to replace necessities that were destroyed.

Insurance Hurdles: The uncooperative stance of Susan’s insurance company has added to her financial and emotional distress. The proposed payments for relocation expenses don’t actually cover the out-of-pocket costs, and lack of agreement on which party’s insurance is responsible for cleanup and lead abatement is blocking that work from beginning. These issues and other complexities have necessitated legal intervention, which only increases the financial burden.

Immediate Needs: The upfront expenses for cleanup, securing temporary housing, legal fees, and other unforeseen costs are immediate and pressing. Both Susan and one of her cats also have had medical bills related to the crash.

In these trying times, the strength of community shines as a beacon of hope. We, a group of friends and neighbors, are reaching out to you to support Susan through this GoFundMe campaign. Your contributions will help alleviate the financial burden and allow Susan to focus on healing and rebuilding, rather than being weighed down by the financial implications of this tragic event.

Should donations exceed her needs, Susan pledges to donate the surplus funds to charity to ensure that the generosity shown to her is paid forward.

No contribution is too small, and every act of kindness will echo in Susan's journey towards recovery. Together, we can help rebuild not just the walls of a home, but also the spirit of one of our own.

Please consider donating and sharing this campaign within your networks. Let's unite in support of Susan and demonstrate the powerful solidarity of our community in the face of adversity.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Anna Ewins & Donna Even-Kesef

Photo Credits: SF Standard first 4 photos