SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — It’s been almost four years since UPS driver Steve Krueger was killed when a small plane crashed into his delivery truck in Santee. Now, a new memorial is set to be dedicated in Ocean Beach, honoring the life and legacy of a man his family says was defined by kindness and compassion.
For Steve’s brother Jeffrey Krueger, the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.
“I would always tell the story of this elderly woman who came up and she said, ‘anytime I needed something, your brother would do it, either change a lightbulb, fix plumbing, whatever. He would always try to fix it himself first,’” Jeffrey recalled.
Steve Krueger was killed in October 2021 while on his UPS route, when a small plane went down in a Santee neighborhood. He was 61 years old.
Jeffrey says the loss was devastating.
“You can’t prepare for something like that. It hit me, it was shocking, to say the least.”
Now, four years later, family and community members are ensuring Steve’s memory lives on. A new stone monument and plaque, built along the bike and walking path near Robb Field in Ocean Beach, has just been completed.
“They just finished this week a monument right on the bike path overlooking the channel in Ocean Beach by the sports park. We’re going to have a dedication Saturday morning about 10 o’clock,” Jeffrey said.
The project took three years to bring to life, pushed forward by Steve’s family, community members, and even one of his former tenants who helped lobby for the memorial.
For Jeffrey, the dedication is both a tribute and a source of comfort.
“After four years, people still remember my brother. It means a lot. It takes some of the pain away knowing how well loved he was and what people thought of him.”
The memorial will officially be dedicated on Saturday, October 11, with family, friends, and community members expected to gather in Ocean Beach.
Jeffrey said MSC landscaping and southwest boulder worked together to bring the monument to life.
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