Petaluma mother of 2 dies in UTV accident

Friends and family are mourning the death of Amy Tharp, a Petaluma mother of two who died last week in a utility vehicle accident.

“On May 26th the Tharp family’s world was turned upside down,” reads a GoFundMe page set up for her family. “Amy and their two children George and Riley were in a horrible UTV accident that tragically took Amy’s life.”

The effect of Tharp’s sudden death was clear from the outpouring of community support: As of Thursday the Amy Tharp Memorial Family Fund had collected nearly $70,000.

“We are asking for everyone’s support to help Nick get through this unthinkable tragedy,” wrote the page’s organizers, Kelly Verke and Margo Tucker. “This will help with the medical costs. There were three helicopter transports and one ambulance, we also want to help cover household expenses.”

“Our hearts are broken,” they added.

A UTV, or utility task vehicle, is a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle used on farms and ranches. A statement from coworkers said Tharp was “camping with family and friends for the holiday weekend near Redding” in Shasta County when the accident occurred.

Born Amy Preston on Oct. 11, 1982, in Ireland, she moved with her family – mother Fiona, father Tony and brother Shane – to Sonoma County when she was 17. She later met and married Nick Tharp, a native Petaluman, and worked as a nurse at Kaiser Permanente.

In a statement issued by coworkers at Kaiser, Amy Tharp was described as “the type of nurse who was side by side with her colleagues on the frontline, COVID testing people in Petaluma’s parking lot despite being 9 months pregnant.”

“Her voice and her infectious laugh were one-of-a-kind,” colleagues said. “She was an incredible person, friend, and nurse. … Amy leaves a void in all our hearts, and she will be greatly missed.”

Don Frances is editor of the Petaluma Argus-Courier. Reach him at don.frances@arguscourier.com.