Miranda Hale, 24, a team leader at Applebees in Emporia, died in a car accident Tuesday afternoon on her way back to Emporia from visiting her parents in Liberal.
Hale was described as a fun-loving and happy person by co-worker Angie Brockelman, a manager at Applebees.
“She was just a really good person,” Brockelman said this morning. “Not real judgmental or anything. She was pretty much an animal lover.”
Hale was a team leader at Applebees, Brockelman said.
“When we’re short on managers she would be a team leader and pretty much take over the management role,” she said. “She was a very hard worker. Very good.”
Hale came to Emporia to attend Emporia State University. She was taking a break from school.
“She wanted to be a police officer,” Brockelman said.
Hale had a son, Kyler, who is about five or six and lives with Hale’s parents in Liberal. Because of his special needs, he needed to go to a special school.
“She went home for Christmas to see her son,” Brockelman said.
She was returning to Emporia on Tuesday, heading east on U.S. Highway 54 in Kiowa County around 1:45 p.m. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Hale was killed when a second car headed west crossed the center line. The driver of that car, 75-year-old Donna Clark and passenger 75-year-old Glenn Clark, both of Mission, were taken to Kiowa County Hospital. Glenn Clark later was taken by ambulance to a Wichita hospital.
All three — Hale and both of the Clarks — were wearing seat belts.
Hale was one of three people killed in southwest Kansas in a five-hour span, according to the Associated Press.
The Highway Patrol said 4-year-old Ethan Rodenberg of Ulysses died shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday when he was hit by an 18-wheeler while riding his bicycle near downtown Ulysses. Troopers say the child was crossing the street when he was struck.
In Finney County, 49-year-old Don Martinez of Garden City was killed when he was hit by a pickup truck at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday while walking in the westbound lanes of U.S. 50.
romano1784 (anonymous) says...
for those of you who didn't know her, you really missed out. Goodbye Miranda, you will be missed.
January 2, 2009 at 10:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )