Heartspring worker dies when fleeing van hits her car
Oct 29, 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - KSN News is learning more about the 43-year-old woman who died when a fleeing van hit her car on Monday on 29th Street North near Webb Road.
Wichita police say the Kansas Highway Patrol air division was pursuing a stolen van from a business. The KHP says the van was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of 29th Street when it hit a Chevy Cobalt driven by Mandy L. Buckwalter head-on. Buckwalter was killed in the crash. The 24-year-old suspect who was allegedly fleeing was injured. Police plan to book her into jail when she is out of the hospital.
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KSN News has learned that Heartspring was Buckwalter's employer. Buckwalter was near work when the crash happened. The nonprofit sent out the following statement:
Today we honor Mandy Buckwalter, a cherished colleague who made a lasting difference in the lives of the children in our care. With her family's permission, we share that Mandy, who passed in a tragic event yesterday, served as a home assistant supervisor in our therapeutic school. We are grateful to have experienced her warmth, commitment, and genuine spirit during her three years at Heartspring. Our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time."
Clara Miller, Marketing and Communications director for Heartspring