ATCHISON, Kan. — A 15-year old Atchison girl is dead after a car accident left her upside down in a pond Sunday night.
Three teenagers were involved in the crash near Leavenworth that left 15-year old Desirae Crossland dead and the Kansas Highway Patrol said distracted driving may have been the cause.
According to social media sites, they were best friends, sisters, partners in crime.
While friends say Desirae spent her life looking up to her older sister, 18-year old Felicity, they say it’s Felicity who will now be looking up to Desirae.
The two sisters and a friend, 18-year old Kelsey Essig were traveling eastbound on US-73 near County Road 33 Sunday Night.
According to the Highway Patrol, Felicity was at the wheel when her car started drifting to the left. The crash report says Felicity over-corrected twice sending her car into a ditch, through a barbed wire fence and ending upside-down in a pond in near freezing temperatures.
Even without the snow, on her facebook page, Felicity says it was so cold she tried to kick the car window but blacked out due to hypothermia.
Felicity and Kelsey survived the crash, going to the hospital with non-life threatening injureis according to authorities. Desirae died at a local hospital, though the Highway Patrol is still looking into whether it was hypothermia, drowning or injuries related to the crash that killed her.
Desirae’s older sister now reeling in pain describes her loss on Facebook. The thought of losing everything she had, none more important than her best friend, her sister turned guardian angel.
The Highway Patrol says all three girls were wearing a seatbelt.
The accident is still under investigation.