substance abuse counselor

live from the channel 4 studios in boston, this is wbz news at 5:00. investigators say tonight that this man was high on heroin when he caused a deadly chain reaction crash killing a woman who spent years trying to save addicts.

the woman was a retired substance abuse counselor. tonight her family members and friends are furious. but she would have forgiven the driver. beth germano is live in salem, new hampshire. reporter: it's the irony of

the tragedy. at this busy intersection the driver blew through the stop sign, sending a car into the path of the victim. and according to family members, she could have helped him. if she was here today, she

would forgive him. that's the type of person that she was. family of charlene -- by the side of the roadway where she was killed late yesterday afternoon. police say 45-year-old todd gurley turned onto route 111

striking a car and forcing it head on to the vehicle she was a passenger in. he was allegedly high of heroin. it's so ironic. but charlene would say it's the disease, not the person. reporter: the 69-year-old

woman dedicated her life to counseling those struggling with substance abuse. her gift was understanding the struggles and she helped countless people with recovery. she was like a mother figure to the clients here. she brought a lot of compassion

really needed to the clients. reporter: police say gurley was driving with a suspended license and he showed signs of being under the influence. they saw signs of imperimeter, including constricted pupils, slurred speech and a thick tongue.

reporter: it's a mixture of anger and sadness given the dedication to her work and the man charged with her death. someone like that would end her life. reporter: and her husband was behind the wheel of the car.

he remains hospitalized with serious injuries.