Copyright Press of Atlantic City Roadside memorial offers comfort to family
By Michael B Baker LINWOOD --When Donnah and Herman Marvel need comfort from the loss of their 18-year-old son, they go to the place where he died. The grave of their son, Nickolas, is in Upper Township, Cape May County. But it's the spot along Route 9 where the Somers Point teenager was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver that has seen the most frequent visits by the family. "I haven't missed one day," Donnah Marvel said. "I've come in the rain, the sleet, when it's 100 degrees."
There's a small scarecrow, which was Nikk's nickname among his friends. Black roses, a sign of love. Pool goggles, showing his excitement that his family was getting a pool. Memorabilia from the Insane Clown Posse, his favorite musical group. Organ donor information, because Nikk was able to donate several of his organs, including his eyes, which were used in a successful cornea transplant. During her twice-daily trips to the site - in the morning to straighten it up, and in the evening to light the candles - Donnah Marvel is used to seeing new items appear. Just last weekend, someone left small, white crosses and imitation hibiscus flowers there. "It's nice to see that someone else loves and misses him as much as we do," she said. While their first year without Nikk has been tough, maintaining the memorial has been cathartic, Donnah Marvel said. One night when he couldn't sleep, for example, Herman Marvel went to the site to sit for a while. "This is actually my therapy," Donnah Marvel said. "And all the kids, all his friends, can feel closer to him as well." But the Marvels, who also have a 14-year-old daughter, want the memorial to be more than therapy. They also want it to raise awareness of hit-and-run accidents. Four people die daily on average nationwide from hit-and-run accidents, and the drivers in half of those accidents are never caught, according to Deadly Roads, an advocacy group for hit-and-run victims. Someone has been charged in Nikk's death. Paula Cicchinelli, a 55-year-old Somers Point resident, pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter this summer and is awaiting trial. Cicchinelli also is accused of driving while intoxicated, and the Marvels have erected signs promoting designated drivers at the memorial. Meanwhile, the Marvels have found other ways to keep their son's memory alive. This year, they argued in Trenton for a bill that would impose a mandatory 71/2-year prison sentence for individuals who leave the scene of a fatal accident. Should it become law, they want to get another law passed, this one named for their son, that would continue to close up loopholes for hit-and-run drivers.
Sometimes, people leave money in an envelope for the scholarship fund at the memorial, and they never have problems with anyone stealing it, he said. The only act of vandalism they have ever seen there was someone stealing a photograph of Nikk, and Donnah Marvel suspects it was just one of his friends who wanted a photo of him to keep. At some point, the memorial might become more permanent. Donnah Marvel said she has heard secondhand that the owner of the property behind it is considering including some sort of memorial when the property is developed. Until then, the Marvels will keep the memorial changing with the seasons. On Sunday, Donnah Marvel pulled out a solar-lighted skull for decoration but decided to wait until closer to Halloween, one of Nikk's favorite holidays, she said. And soon after that, there will be a Christmas tree at the site. And on Nov. 16, the anniversary of Nikk's death, his friends will gather there for one of their Insane Clown Posse-inspired traditions - a Faygo shower. They'll shake up bottles of Faygo soda and spray one another with them. They did the same on the day of Nikk's funeral and his birthday, his mother said. "It's a good way to release the anger," she said. To e-mail Michael B. Baker at The Press: MBaker@pressofac.com
Area women hope to increase penalties for hit-and-run drivers
By Joyce Vanaman Staff Writer, (856) 825-2303 MILLVILLE-The deaths of two dearly loved people - Lisa Skinner Miles' father and Donnah Marvel's son - has brought the two area women together. They met in June when they went to Trenton to be with Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, D-Cumberland, Cape May and Atlantic, as he introduced a bill to increase penalties for hit-and-run drivers like those who killed Lawrence R. Skinner Sr., 62, of Millville, and Nickolas Marvel, 18, of Somers Point. "We've been very close since then," said Miles, who lives in Vineland with her husband and son. This is an especially difficult time for both women as they mark the anniversaries of the hit-and-run accidents that killed their family members. As they mourn - each in her own way - they both are committed to creating an awareness of the grief caused by hit-and-run drivers and a determination to work for the adoption of the proposed bill. "Four people die daily on average nationwide from hit-and-run accidents, and the drivers in half of those accidents are never caught," according to statistics cited by Marvel from Deadly Roads, an advocacy group for hit-and-run victims. Miles said that Millville police Detective Kevin McLaughlin has been very supportive in continuing his almost two-year investigation. It was around 9:15 a.m. Nov. 14, 2003, that Skinner, a heavy-equipment operator employed by Arbisco, was working on the Brandriff Avenue Bridge when he was struck and killed. "This person who killed my father is still out there and probably driving every day," Miles said. It is believed that Skinner was struck by an older-model tri-axle dump truck, McLaughlin said Wednesday. "We believe that the accident occurred during the morning rush hour traffic and that someone or several people witnessed the actual accident," McLaughlin said. The case is still listed as active, and Miles and McLaughlin are hoping that even though the accident happened two years ago someone will come forward with information. Crime Stoppers of Millville Inc. is offering up to $1,000 for information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the driver, and the Skinner family and friends are offering around $5,000, Miles said. One of the positive things that has taken place, according to Miles, is the activation in August 2004 of the "Skinner Signal." This was done through the efforts of the county, the Sheriff's Office, the 911 Communications and Training Center, local law enforcement agencies and State Police. William Garrison, the traffic safety coordinator for the Sheriff's Office, previously explained that when a law- enforcement agency has a hit-and-run accident that involves a serious or fatal injury, it notifies the 911 Communications Center, which then notifies other police departments and area radio and television stations. They will then broadcast information on the vehicle requesting people to notify 911 if they see it. Now Miles' efforts are directed to encouraging the state Senate to act on Assembly Bill A2903. She and Marvel explained that it would increase from five years in prison to 10 years and the fine from $10,000 maximum to $150,000 in hit-and-run accidents that cause fatalities or serious injuries. The driver who killed Nickolas Marvel has been apprehended, reported Donnah Marvel. She said the driver, also from Somers Point, is awaiting trial. Marvel's son, who was called Nikk, was killed Nov. 16, 2004, while walking with friends on Route 9, near the intersection with Seaview Avenue, in Linwood. He had graduated from Mainland Regional High School in June 2004 and was working for ShopRite, and the accident took place 40 days before his 19th birthday, Marvel said. A roadside memorial has been set up at the scene of the accident. "The landowner is very understanding," Marvel said. "I go there every day, no matter how I feel. It's been therapeutic for me." Marvel works in a school cafeteria, and her husband, Herman, is a bus driver for NJ Transit. They have a 14-year-old daughter, Dana. On Wednesday, the first anniversary of Nikk's death, his family, friends and Lisa Skinner Miles and her husband, Robert, will gather at the memorial for a "Faygo shower." Marvel explained that they will shake up bottles of Faygo soda and spray one another with them. She said that they did that on the day of Nikk's funeral and on his birthday. The families still grieve for their loved ones, but belonging to a group via the Internet with others whose family members have been the victim of hit-and-run accidents has helped, and they hope that the proposed law will help create an awareness of the tragedy inflicted on victims and their families by hit-and-run drivers. "We hope people will make less destructive decisions and take responsibility for their actions," Marvel said. Anyone with information about the Skinner hit-and-run accident is asked to contact McLaughlin at (856) 825-2112 or the Crime Stoppers at (856) 825-2182. To e-mail Joyce Vanaman at The Press: JVanaman@pressofac.com LOCAL TEEN REMEMBERED 1 YEAR AFTER TRAGIC DEATH Phaedra Laird - 11/16/2005 4:18:09 PM LINWOOD--It was one year ago today that a Somers Point teen was tragically killed while walking along Route 9 in Linwood. Today, family and friends honor Nikk Marvel's memory. "It doesn't seem like a year, but it feels like it's been forever." Herman and Donnah Marvel woke up this morning to face the reality of their only son, last of the Marvels, being gone for exactly one year. "That could've been a year filled with fun and excitement and good news," said Nikk's mother, Donnah, "there's so much that we missed out on in this past year that we'll never get and we'll never know what we missed." 18 year-old Nikk Marvel was struck and killed along Route 9 while walking with friends, the driver fled the scene. The suspect in his death is 55 year-old Paula Cicchinelli, who has been charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, it's also alleged she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. "If you're going to drink, don't drive," said Nikk's father, Herman, 'I work for NJ Transit, take my bus, I don't care, call a cab. "You have to take responsibility for your actions," said Donnah Marvel, "we have to stop these hit and runs and destructive decisions." You can see the Marvels on any given day tending to the ever-growing memorial, something that helps them cope and hopefully deters other from making destructive decisions. "Maybe it'll make people realize what's going on and maybe make them stop and think," said Donnah. The Catholic Church donated 700 blessed candles to be added to the large roadside memorial. The Marvels say they've been truly touched by the generosity of friends and even complete strangers. "The only angel i put down here was the little white one," said Donnah, "all of these other angels and figurines just show up." The Marvels say Nikk's tragic passing has helped them appreciate the little things everyday, and say they'll continue to do good things in their son's name. "We'll go forward, keep his memory alive," said Herman, "that's all we can do." A vigil will be held by Marvel's family and friends at 6 o'clock tonight.
Roadside memorial vandalized in Linwood By Michael Pritchard Staff Writer, (609) 272-7256 Published: Saturday, March 25, 2006 LINWOOD — Donnah Marvel has spent 463 days maintaining a roadside memorial for her son Nickolas, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in 2004. The ever-growing memorial, comprised of candles and memorabilia, has become a kind of landmark along Route 9 near the Somers Point border. On Friday, Marvel had to build it again. Sometime between 10 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. Friday, vandals trashed the memorial, smashing candles, a picture of Nickolas Marvel and other items left at the memorial. “I just don't understand how someone could do this,” Marvel said Friday. “The whole point of this memorial — the reason we take care of it — is to tell people about the dangers of hit-and-run drivers. This could have been anyone's son who died. We're trying to raise awareness and then this happens.” Nickolas Marvel, 18, of Somers Point, was killed Nov. 16, 2004, by a hit-and-run driver while walking along the shoulder of the roadway with two friends. His friends were not injured. Paula Cicchinelli, 55, of Somers Point, is charged with vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter in the case. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting trial. In the meantime, the memorial to Marvel has been growing. “When we started this, we really just put up a cross,” Donnah Marvel said. “But then people started adding things. I'd notice things that I didn't even know where they came from. Things like flowers and candles. People are still leaving things. They leave chains (necklaces) and flowers and figurines. One girl left a religious trophy she won at school. There are still a lot of people who remember him.” Linwood police would not release information on the vandalism incident Friday, but Marvel said Friday was the second day in a row she found damage at the site. On Thursday, she said, she found someone had broken a picture frame holding a picture of her son. “With that one, I just figured it was an isolated incident and we just sucked it up and put the picture back,” she said “But then this happened.” Marvel said she still believes in the memorial. “I think that there are a lot more good people around here than people who would do this,” she said. “Just today about seven people who were driving by stopped to talk to me. I still hope this was just a random person with too much time on their hands.” For the city, the memorial has become a visible reminder of Marvel's loss, even more than a year later. “It's just a very sad thing that someone would do this,” Mayor Richard DePamphilis said. “It's strange because the location just happens to be at a place that our police patrols would pass frequently. It's just a very sad thing.” DePamphilis said he's not aware of any opposition to the memorial, which has stood for more than a year. “I've never had a single complaint about it,” he said. “I suppose if it keeps growing, then there could be a concern, but as of now I don't know of anyone who's complained about it.” Herman Marvel, Nickolas' father, said the memorial has become more than most roadside memorials. “We look at it as a call for safe driving,” he said. “And it's still a place where people leave things and his friends still come here to remember him and talk about him. We hope to keep it here as long as they'll let us.” Copyright Press of Atlantic City
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Like many families
grieving someone in a roadside death, Herman Marvel first marked the point
of the accident with a simple cross. But friends, family and even complete
strangers have since transformed it into an evergreen memorial, filling it
with a rotating collection of glowing candles, colorful flowers, mementos
and symbols of Nikk, as he liked to be called.
They've also
formed a scholarship in his honor, aimed largely at students who have lost
a family members to drunken drivers. This year, they gave one $500 scholarship,
and they hope to give out more in the future, Herman Marvel said.