Coworker establishes fundraiser for truck driver’s funeral expenses after fatal crash

He had only worked at the job for two weeks when, on Monday, Sept. 22 – the day of his wedding anniversary – David E. Rittle Jr. crashed his cement truck in Cleona.

Rittle, 38, of North Lebanon Township, died from his injuries the next day, leaving behind his wife, Amy L. Strubhar Rittle, and a daughter, Avalynn, who was born Jan. 10, 2022.

“She was a daddy’s girl,” co-worker Darrin Schneck told LebTown this week. “That’s what makes me so sad.”

Schneck has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to cover funeral expenses for Rittle’s family. The initial goal of $2,000 was quickly matched but, after learning from Rittle’s widow that expenses would exceed $10,000, he raised the campaign goal to $8,000.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, the GoFundMe campaign had raised $5,871 through 67 individual donations.

According to a press release issued Tuesday by Police Chief Jeffrey J. Farneski, Rittle was operating a Mack cement truck owned by Collins Trucking Inc. of Lebanon on Tunnel Hill Road, which becomes North Center Street in Cleona, when it left the roadway and struck a building and rolled over. Rittle was partially ejected from the vehicle.

Police were dispatched to the scene at approximately 8:58 a.m. Monday and arrived on scene within a minute. First responders removed Rittle from the truck and administered CPR until First Aid and Safety Patrol arrived and took over life-saving measures. Rittle was transported to Hershey Medical Center for treatment, and he was pronounced dead by the Dauphin County Coroner’s office on Tuesday.

Read More: North Lebanon Township man dies after truck hits building in Cleona, police say

“We are mourning the sudden loss of our dear coworker, David Rittle, who tragically passed away today in an accident,” Schneck explained on the GoFundMe page. “David leaves behind his wife and their 3-year-old daughter, and his family is gratefully accepting any donations to help them through this difficult time. Your support and generosity can make a meaningful difference in their lives, offering comfort and assistance as they cope with this immense loss. Thank you for coming together to support David’s loved ones during this heartbreaking period.”

In a telephone interview with LebTown, Schneck said he was just starting to get to know Rittle when the accident occurred.

“He just started at the job about two weeks ago,” he said. “I was training him. But, being in a truck with someone, you get to know them.”

Surprisingly, Schneck said, “he’s my wife’s brother-in-law’s cousin. I just found that out.”

On the other hand, he said, “I just met his wife yesterday.”

She’s a stay-at-home mom, he said, and “their anniversary was the day of the wreck.”

“When he came to work that day, he was … still deciding what he was going to do for their anniversary. Typical guy,” Schneck said, with a chuckle.

But he felt bad for her, especially after finding out that funeral expenses would be so high. “I figured, let’s see what the community can do. And they’re coming through.”

In a post sharing the GoFundMe campaign, Amy Rittle said she is trying “to learn how to live life without him.” His daughter, she said, “was his world,” and he “was the sole provider for us so he could let me stay home with her.”

According to his obituary, Rittle was born in Lebanon, the son of David E. Sr. and Kimberly R. Hartman Rittle of Lebanon. He was raised on a dairy farm and graduated in 2006 from Cedar Crest High School, where he was an active member of FFA and 4H.

Schneck was Rittle was “awesome” and “fun,” and “he loved driving trucks.” When they met, he said, Rittle’s infectious laugh was kind of annoying – “but that’s the thing, it sticks with you. … I hated it. Now I miss it.”

He was also very giving, he added, always willing to share his lunch with a hungry coworker.

“His daughter and his wife, that was his No. 1,” he said. “That was his world, his little girl. He was a good guy.”