Cumberland County Michael Norris, left, and emergency personnel respond to the scene of the crash on Interstate 81 in November that took the life of Mariko Furukawa of Japan.(Wally Shank/The Sentinel)

Mementoes found, returned

By Joseph Cress, February 12, 2004

Last updated: Thursday, February 12, 2004 11:41 AM EST

Persistence and "the power of the press" are easing the grief of a Japanese family whose daughter died on Interstate 81 near Carlisle. Personal items belonging to Mariko Furukawa have been recovered and are now in transit to her homeland, thousand of miles from the spot where she died Nov. 21.

Employees of Central Penn Sales, a salvage yard in York Haven, found her purse, digital camera, flip phone, black wallet and credit card on the floor of the wrecked Toyota.

Furukawa and three other Lebanon Valley College were on their way to a Tai Kwon Do match in North Carolina when the car in which they were riding crossed the grassy median and collided with a tractor-trailer.

Mother sees article

In January George Kruth sought help from the Carlisle-area community to locate and return home the final part of her young life - missing items he believed she had with her the day she died.

The Sentinel featured this story in its Jan. 27 edition and, within a day, the recovery process was in motion for Kruth, a Pittsburgh-area resident whose family hosted Mariko when she was a high school exchange student in 1998. The Kruth family and Furukawa remained close. So, Kruth has been working on behalf of her family to settle her affairs in the United States.

The mother of the late Chelsey Morris, driver of the Toyota, saw the newspaper article and contacted the State Farm Insurance agent handling her accident claim. The insurance company, in turn, contacted Kruth and the salvage yard. Together they were able to secure the necessary clearance to search the vehicle.

Everyone involved came together with cooperation and sensitivity to bring closure to the Japanese family, Kruth says. "All parties had an interest to go out and do whatever needed to be done to recover the items.

"I was able to satisfy an issue that has been bothering them. It just took a little persistence and the power of the press."

Kruth knew Furukawa had a habit of placing personal items under the seat when she entered a vehicle. That clue helped salvage yard employees find what was missing. Central Penn Sales shipped her possessions to Kruth, who was pleasantly surprised to find the items in good condition even after two months of being exposed to the elements. Money and some identification cards were slightly damp and had to be dried out. "Nothing was soak and wet or badly soiled. Everything was pretty much operational.

"We called her parents. They were overwhelmed," he said, adding, the parents thank everyone who helped.

More found in car

Salvage yard employees also retrieved from the trunk backpacks belonging to the two other women who died in the wreck, Kruth says.

The backpacks have been returned to the families. Shirley Mancuso, receptionist with Central Penn Sales, helped to coordinate the search.

"I was happy to help out the family," she says. "Being a parent, I knew it would be nice to have those items back," she added. "It took a little time to search for the items due to the condition of the vehicle." Salvage yard employees routinely retrieve items from vehicles when owners call and make a request, she added.