KWCH - Kansas News and Weather - Wellington Family Loses Two Children in Different Crashes

Wellington Family Loses Two Children in Different Crashes

by Kim Hynes (WELLINGTON, Kan.)

She had just recovered from one car accident when another took her life. 19-year-old Brayden Popplewell died Saturday in Sumner County.

Monday authorities charged the driver of Popplewell's vehicle with her death. Authorities say alcohol was involved when Patrick Burr was driving. He now faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

"I can hear her laughing in my head right now," said Popplewell's best friend Darien Sisson. A laugh they almost lost once is now gone forever. "She was an outgoing and happy go lucky person."

Saturday night, police say Popplewell was a passenger in a truck traveling west on east 40th street in Sumner County. Police say Burr didn't yield for a car traveling south on Oliver. The two vehicles hit, injuring six people and killing Popplewell.

Just seven months before this crash, Popplewell was involved in another alcohol related crash. That crash left her with severe injuries. She spent two months in the hospital recovering. Her best friend, Sisson suffered several broken bones in the same crash. "It was very tragic. It made our bond a whole lot different than before," she said.

Maddie Popplewell says just as her sister was getting better, there was another car accident. In June, their 22-year-old brother died after hitting a deer. Police say alcohol also played a role. "After I lost him, I never thought we'd lose someone else in the family," Maddie Popplewell said.

But now that she's lost both a sister and a brother, she told Sisson that she'll have to be her sister from now on. "We've always been close to each other." It's a closeness they don't ever want to lose again, especially to an alcohol related accident.

"When you go out just be careful. Be responsible. Even if you have to call your mom to pick you up, call her. And wear your seat belt," Sisson and Popplewell both said. It's advise they wish they could still give to the girl who loved to laugh.

Sumner County recently received a grant to try and reduce underage drinking. The coordinator says they're targeting everyone from kindergarten to high school. She says it's going to take the community to change attitudes that underage drinking is no longer a rite of passage.