‘To know Nancy was to love Nancy:’ St. Johns County woman killed in suspected DUI crash

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Family and friends are mourning the loss of someone who they say touched the lives of thousands. Nancy Griffin was killed in a crash on St. Johns Pkwy near Avery Garden Place on Wednesday night, deputies say a drunk driver is responsible.

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Since 2008, Nancy and her husband, Paul Griffin have been nearly inseparable. They got married in 2017 on the beach and had a blended family of five together. Now, Griffin is grieving the loss of his wife, best friend and trying to find a form of closure during a devastating time.

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“I have to try to figure out life without Nancy, it’s going to be a huge challenge,” he said.

Nancy was on her way home from work from the Durbin Crossing amenity center when deputies said a drunk driver crashed into her car.

Griffin called the crash senseless.

“We built a life together and for her to be taken away like this is just heartbreaking,” he said.

Griffin told Action News Jax that she had a motto before anytime him or her left the house.

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“She would always say ‘I love you, be careful’ and I started saying it after a while because it’s time like this that it means that much,” he said.

Paul, her brother Eddie and their friends Amy Howell and Maychelle Klee all describe her as someone who could light up a room with her smile.

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'To know Nancy was to love Nancy' Nancy and Paul got married in 2017 on the beach and had a blended family of five together. (Griffin family)

“We got into a lot of shenanigans together caused some fun rivalries together,” her brother Eddie Paneto said.

They all said when Nancy walked into a room, you knew she was there.

“She was a huge ray of sunshine and burst of energy you couldn’t help feel in her presence,” Howell said.

She was extremely well known within the community and made friends with ease.

“We were walking buddies, she was one of my few closest friends we talked about anything and everything,” Klee said.

Paul is a musician and along with working at the amenity center, Nancy was a baker. She ran the Flour Power Bakery LLC. Loved ones told Action News Jax she would make sugar cookies and other baked goods for community members, including the pets.

Friends said she helped create vendor events and helped showcase other businesses. They say she had a passion for making things and sharing it with people.

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“She became a member of our family, the things she did turned into traditions into our households,” Howell said.

St. Johns County deputies arrested 26-year-old Kelsey Herrin in connection to the crash. She’s booked in jail charged with DUI manslaughter and three other DUI related charges. Her arrest report says she was driving drunk and high with a BAC level of .198 and had cocaine in her system.

Griffin had a message for anyone who decides to get behind the wheel under the influence and for the woman accused of taking his wife from him.

“Slow down, be on time, plan...plan better,” he said. “You killed someone who touched thousands of lives in a good way and brought joy to people and they are never going to forget her.”

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For Nancy’s service, any donations will be given to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. Family friends helped create a GoFundMe to help out her husband, it reads, “To know Nancy was to love Nancy. She was fiery, vivacious, tender, loving, and compassionate beyond words.