Penelope H. Dickens, an Oak Bluffs woman known for her work as a community volunteer and kind nature, died in a single car accident on Route 495 in Wareham on Monday evening, when the vehicle she was driving veered off the road, crashed into the woods and caught fire, police said this week.

Ms. Dickens reportedly was driving home from Boston, where earlier in the day she learned there was no recurrence of the cancer she fought for several years. She was driving southbound just north of Route 195 around 8:10 p.m. in a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee when she lost control of the vehicle.

The crash remains under investigation by Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police with the assistance of the State Police Crime Scene Services Section and the State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section. Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Wareham Police and Fire Departments and the Rochester Police Department.

Ms. Dickens moved to the Island some 20 years ago, and since that time she volunteered for a number of Island causes and worked as a bookkeeper for several businesses.

After she was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, many of her Island friends rallied to support her, and in June of 2008 a summer solstice fundraiser was held in her benefit that was attended by hundreds of friends, well-wishers and celebrities, including veteran actor Bill Murray. The event helped raise money for Ms. Dickens’ medical treatment.

Ms. Dickens’ cancer had since gone into remission, and she was planning a new career teaching English as a second language.

A memorial to honor her memory is being planned, but no date has been set.