(no subject)
Attempted U-turn causes fatal crash on turnpike
By ROBERT CRONKLETON and JASON NOBLE The Kansas City Star
A 19-year-old Kansas City, Kan., woman was killed and three friends were critically injured Wednesday when a truck hit their car as they attempted a U-turn on Interstate 35.
Stephanie Hoyt, who was driving the car, was pronounced dead at the scene south of El Dorado, according to Kansas Turnpike authorities. The injured were identified as Genevie Gold, Sharon Wright and Rachel Kannaday, all 19 and all from Kansas City, Kan.
All four had graduated from Sumner Academy in 2004.
Lisa Callahan, public relations director for the Kansas Turnpike, said the women were returning to the Kansas City area in a 2002 Ford Focus after a trip to Texas.
They stopped at the Towanda service area about 5 a.m. When they re-entered the highway, they were heading south. The next exit was about eight miles away.
"We don’t know why when they left, they headed southbound instead of northbound,” Callahan said.
The truck driver, Charles Church of South Haven, Kan., told authorities that he saw the car enter the highway from the left-hand entrance ramp, cross the lane of traffic and pull over on the right-hand shoulder.
“He said he saw the car coming across and thought it would stop,” Callahan said. “He merged over to the left passing lane.”
That’s when the car made a hard left-hand turn and crossed in front of the tractor-trailer, which hit the car broadside.
The three injured women were taken to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. They were in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, but their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, Callahan said.
Church was uninjured, but was shaken up, Callahan said.
According to the accident report, Hoyt was wearing her seatbelt; Kannaday and Wright were not. It was not known whether Gold was wearing her seatbelt.
Mary Viveros, the principal at Sumner Academy, remembered Hoyt fondly. Viveros said she remembered her for her “incredible smile” and upbeat demeanor.
She said Hoyt had gone to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, after graduating in 2004, but returned to Kansas after only a week. She later enrolled at the University of Kansas, Viveros said.
Sharon Wright’s mother, Maria Wright, said her daughter was a student at the University of Kansas and had been taking a summer school class in biology at Kansas City Kansas Community College this summer. She said she planned to go to Wichita to be with her daughter.
Maria Wright, whose native language is Spanish, was unsure what injuries her daughter suffered because her English is not strong enough for her to understand everything the staff at the hospital tried to tell her Wednesday.
She said she knew that her daughter was a close friend of Gold, but she did not know how close her daughter was to the other two.
Relatives of Kannaday and Gold could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Callahan said it was illegal to make a U-turn on the turnpike. Motorists, she said, should continue to the next interchange if they are headed in the wrong direction.
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This has certainly made its way around the Sumner group here on LJ, but I thought I would share it with everyone.
I don't really know what to say at this point. I found out about it around 3:30 this afternoon on various friend's LJs. I knew Stephanie the best out of any of them. I have only fond memories of her. I remember being with her during Forensics tournaments and after school. She was so nice to me and I remember debating with her on her orations. It's so terrible what has happened to her. She's only 19, for Christ's sake!
I know Genevie Gold. She's really amazing. She started Outreach Humanity and was so politically active. I loved seeing her orations in 4N6. Latest news is that she came out of her coma. She is going to go so far in life; I hope everything works out. I know Rachael Kannaday; she was in my 4N6 class and was very fun to be around. She broke her back, but that's all I know on her. I don't know Sharon Wright; I heard they removed her feeding tube, so I hope she's doing well now.
I can't believe this happened. It's so terrible and horrific. My heart goes out to the girls and their families.
If anyone here in town hears any information about Stephanie's funeral, please pass the information my way.
By ROBERT CRONKLETON and JASON NOBLE The Kansas City Star
A 19-year-old Kansas City, Kan., woman was killed and three friends were critically injured Wednesday when a truck hit their car as they attempted a U-turn on Interstate 35.
Stephanie Hoyt, who was driving the car, was pronounced dead at the scene south of El Dorado, according to Kansas Turnpike authorities. The injured were identified as Genevie Gold, Sharon Wright and Rachel Kannaday, all 19 and all from Kansas City, Kan.
All four had graduated from Sumner Academy in 2004.
Lisa Callahan, public relations director for the Kansas Turnpike, said the women were returning to the Kansas City area in a 2002 Ford Focus after a trip to Texas.
They stopped at the Towanda service area about 5 a.m. When they re-entered the highway, they were heading south. The next exit was about eight miles away.
"We don’t know why when they left, they headed southbound instead of northbound,” Callahan said.
The truck driver, Charles Church of South Haven, Kan., told authorities that he saw the car enter the highway from the left-hand entrance ramp, cross the lane of traffic and pull over on the right-hand shoulder.
“He said he saw the car coming across and thought it would stop,” Callahan said. “He merged over to the left passing lane.”
That’s when the car made a hard left-hand turn and crossed in front of the tractor-trailer, which hit the car broadside.
The three injured women were taken to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. They were in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, but their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, Callahan said.
Church was uninjured, but was shaken up, Callahan said.
According to the accident report, Hoyt was wearing her seatbelt; Kannaday and Wright were not. It was not known whether Gold was wearing her seatbelt.
Mary Viveros, the principal at Sumner Academy, remembered Hoyt fondly. Viveros said she remembered her for her “incredible smile” and upbeat demeanor.
She said Hoyt had gone to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, after graduating in 2004, but returned to Kansas after only a week. She later enrolled at the University of Kansas, Viveros said.
Sharon Wright’s mother, Maria Wright, said her daughter was a student at the University of Kansas and had been taking a summer school class in biology at Kansas City Kansas Community College this summer. She said she planned to go to Wichita to be with her daughter.
Maria Wright, whose native language is Spanish, was unsure what injuries her daughter suffered because her English is not strong enough for her to understand everything the staff at the hospital tried to tell her Wednesday.
She said she knew that her daughter was a close friend of Gold, but she did not know how close her daughter was to the other two.
Relatives of Kannaday and Gold could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Callahan said it was illegal to make a U-turn on the turnpike. Motorists, she said, should continue to the next interchange if they are headed in the wrong direction.
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This has certainly made its way around the Sumner group here on LJ, but I thought I would share it with everyone.
I don't really know what to say at this point. I found out about it around 3:30 this afternoon on various friend's LJs. I knew Stephanie the best out of any of them. I have only fond memories of her. I remember being with her during Forensics tournaments and after school. She was so nice to me and I remember debating with her on her orations. It's so terrible what has happened to her. She's only 19, for Christ's sake!
I know Genevie Gold. She's really amazing. She started Outreach Humanity and was so politically active. I loved seeing her orations in 4N6. Latest news is that she came out of her coma. She is going to go so far in life; I hope everything works out. I know Rachael Kannaday; she was in my 4N6 class and was very fun to be around. She broke her back, but that's all I know on her. I don't know Sharon Wright; I heard they removed her feeding tube, so I hope she's doing well now.
I can't believe this happened. It's so terrible and horrific. My heart goes out to the girls and their families.
If anyone here in town hears any information about Stephanie's funeral, please pass the information my way.