Woman Killed in Nail Salon Crash Was a ‘Beautiful Loving Sister,' Brother Says
Jeff Mostow tells PEOPLE that his sister Jill Goddard put her family first
Jill Goddard, who died in a suburban St. Louis nail salon crash on Saturday, was a "beautiful loving” sister, Jeff Mostow tells PEOPLE
Goddard died after a car, reportedly driven by her friend, backed into the salon, pinning the grandmother underneath
Mostow wants others to know that his sister never missed an opportunity to visit her children and grandchildren
The brother of the woman who died when a car crashed into a suburban St. Louis nail salon over the weekend is speaking out about his “beautiful loving” sister.
Jeff Mostow tells PEOPLE that his sister, Jill Goddard, was enjoying a day of relaxation featuring brunch and manicures with her friends, Kimberly Langley and Mary Cates when their afternoon turned tragic.
Goddard, 61, died when a car, driven by Langley, 57, backed into the salon, pinning the grandmother underneath, according to CBS affiliate KMOV-TV and the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP).
Langley reportedly backed the vehicle up closer to the front of the salon so that Goddard and Cates would only have a short run through the rain to get inside.
Related: 1 Woman Dead, 3 Injured After Driver Accidentally Backs SUV into Nail Salon
Goddard — as well as three others who suffered minor injuries — were rushed to the hospital, but the Pacific woman was pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital in Washington on Saturday afternoon.
As her family comes to terms with their loss, Mostow wants others to know about his special sister, who visited her children and grandchildren as often as she could.
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“She was a bright, funny, generous person who deeply loved her family,” Mostow tells PEOPLE.
The kind words about Goddard were echoed by her daughter, Nikole Wilkins, who tells PEOPLE that her mother "had a heart of gold and looked to see the good in everything."
Calling the situation "not quite real," Wilkins added, "Her biggest fear in life was death, so I’m thankful she didn’t see this coming, even though I’d give anything to hug her and tell her I love her one more time."
After raising her children in Florida for years, Jill returned to her native Missouri, where she met her late husband, Gene Goddard, who was a retired veteran, according to Jeff.
Related: Pilot Dies, Driver Injured After Small Plane Crashes into Calif. Intersection and Hits a Car
Following Gene’s death a few years ago, Goddard leaned on her friends, who had helped her venture more outside the home, her father, Alan Mostow, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Sadly, it was those friends who were injured alongside Goddard when the accident occurred.
In a phone call to Langley, he told her to “get rid of the guilt" and that he didn’t hold her responsible for his daughter’s death, the paper reported.
Now, Jeff Goddard is raising money on GoFundMe for Jill’s children and grandchildren in the wake of her death.
“Jill was a loving sister, mother, grandmother, aunt and daughter,” he tells PEOPLE. “We all know how much she loved us because she made that very clear.”
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