Armored truck kills cyclist at Smith

(Correction: Because of a reporting error, a story in Saturday's City & Region section about a 23-year-old activist who was killed in a traffic accident misidentified the location of Hampshire College. The college is in Amherst.)

A 23-year-old social activist -- who friends said devoted her life to raising awareness of AIDS, domestic violence, and other issues -- was killed this week when an armored truck struck her as she rode her bicycle through Smith College in Northampton, crushing her beneath its wheels, police said.

Margaret ''Meg" Sanders, 23, who volunteered at four different nonprofit organizations and didn't have a driver's license because she preferred an eco-friendly bicycle, was riding home from her night job at a domestic violence shelter when she was struck Thursday, friends said.

''She was just an amazing person, a very bright spirit," said Dorothy Baumann, 50, of Hadley, who befriended Sanders three years ago in a tai chi class. ''It's just a freak thing."

''You knew you could always accomplish anything with Meg," said Court Cline, 42, of Easthampton, volunteer director at AIDS CARE Hampshire County, an advocacy group where Sanders volunteered. ''Nothing was out of reach when she was around."

For the past two years, Sanders participated in the Red Ribbon Ride, a 175-mile bicycle ride across the state that raises money and awareness for AIDS and HIV. This year, she was cocaptain of the AIDS CARE cycling team, helping to garner more than $15,000 in donations, said Andi Genser, director of the ride.

''She was really dedicated to the cause and making a difference in the world," Genser said.

The accident happened as Sanders rode east on Elm Street inside the Smith College campus about 9:08 a.m. Thursday, said Northampton Police Sergeant Andrew Trushaw.

Rafael Sevilla, 25, of Indian Orchard, was driving an armored truck in the same direction on Elm Street when he a made a right turn into a driveway and struck Sanders, catching her beneath the wheels, Trushaw said.

Sanders was pronounced dead on the street, Trushaw said. Police are investigating the incident, and no charges have been filed against Sevilla, an employee of AT Systems Inc., Trushaw said.

''The driver never saw her or anything," he said.

Sanders volunteered for various causes, including animal rights, bicycling concerns, and social justice, Cline said.

She also held three jobs, created ornate art projects of paper sculptures and book binding, and studied tai chi and yoga, he said.

Yet no issue seemed to motivate Sanders as much as AIDS. Her parents both died when Sanders was 9, Cline said, and it wasn't until Sanders was a teenager that she learned the cause of their illness was AIDS.

After the deaths of her parents, Sanders and her two older sisters lived with an aunt in the family's hometown of Chattanooga, Tenn., Cline said.

Sanders moved to Massachusetts nearly five years ago to attend Hampshire College in Northampton. She received her bachelor's degree in 2004 with a focus on book art, Cline said.

Sanders rarely talked about her parents' deaths, choosing instead to focus on helping others, Baumann said.

''She once said she chose to process her parents' deaths on her own," Baumann said.

A memorial service sponsored by Critical Mass, a cycling advocacy group Sanders volunteered with, will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m. in Pulaski Park on Main Street in Northampton, Cline said.

''She was just an amazing person who tried to help everyone," he said.

''I'm going to miss Meg every day of my life. We all learned so much from her."