WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – KSN News is providing further details about the 43-year-old woman who died in a collision on Monday on 29th Street North near Webb Road. Identified as Mandy L. Buckwalter, the victim was fatally injured when a van, fleeing from law enforcement, struck her car head-on.
According to the Wichita Police Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) air division was pursuing a stolen van. The KHP reported that the van was traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of 29th Street when it collided with Buckwalter’s Chevy Cobalt. The impact claimed Buckwalter’s life.
The suspect, a 24-year-old individual, sustained injuries in the crash. Police plan to take the suspect into custody once released from the hospital.
KSN News has learned that Buckwalter was an employee of Heartspring. The crash occurred near her workplace. Heartspring, a local nonprofit, issued 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, the Marketing and Communications director for Heartspring, provided the statement.
