THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
JULY 20-JULY 26,2005
STUDENT DEATH
Student dies in I-35 wreck
Three University of Kansas students lay in hospital beds in Wichita after a car crash on the Interstate Highway 35 portion of the Kansas Turnpike. The collision happened outside of Wichita, near El Dorado, on June 13.
The crash killed Stephanie Hoyt, Kansas City, Kan. freshman, who was driving her 2002 Ford Focus. The three injured in the accident were Kansas City, Kan., freshmen Genevie Gold, Sharon Wright and Rachel Kannaday. All passengers in the accident are 19.
The students were returning from a trip to Texas, and after reaching Wichita, got on I-35 south, which would have sent them back the way they came. Once the girls realized the mistake, they tried to cross lanes to reach a service area and turn around. As they merged, their vehicle was struck by another car and Hoyt died instantly.
An ambulance took the other three girls to Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, where the hospital listed Gold and Wright as serious and Kannaday as critical. As of June 18, the girls' conditions had improved. The hospital downgraded Gold and Wright to fair, and Kannaday to serious. A nurse at the hospital said no estimated time of discharge from the hospitals for the women had been determined.
All of the women were 2004 graduates of Sumner Academy in Kansas City, Kan.
Funeral services for Hoyt were held July 17 at Chapel Hill Cemetery, in Kansas City, Kan. Hoyt, who had recently finished her first year at the University, majored in English.
Chancellor Robert Hemenway released a statement on June 14, calling Hoyt's death "a tragic loss," and said that "our thoughts and prayers are with the injured."
Adam Land contributed to this story.
— Julia Melim Coehlo
Record holder performs in Topeka
Bruce Crevier spins ten basketballs at once to conclude his performance at the opening ceremony for the Sunflower State Games. Crevier has spun 21 basketballs at the same time and holds the Guinness World Record for that category.
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