The young woman who was killed by a truck in a hit-and-run incident in Wyoming Tuesday morning was a former Wayland High School student.
Chelsea Crawford, 26, of Wyoming, the former Chelsea Fender, was walking on 52nd Street just east of Byron Center Avenue, when she was struck just before 9 a.m. by a westbound truck.
Wyoming police said the vehicle was a red full-size Dodge Ram pickup with a “V” plow in front and a scraper on the back. The vehicle had a yellow light on the roof and no discernible markings. A 21-year-old man was apprehended Wednesday afternoon in connection with the case.
Wayland High School arts teacher Becky Black reported that Chelsea was a student of hers. Chelsea was the daughter of former Wayland elementary teacher Christina Fender.
Chelsea’s husband, Ben, has put up a GoFundMe site on the Internet to try to defray some of the costs of her funeral.
He said, “My loving wife, Chelsea, passed away Tuesday January 10th. She was hit by a truck with a plow.
“My wife loved books and stories, she was always buying books and reading them. It would be rare for her to not have one in her bag. It was the love of books that brought us together. She had such a joy about her and cared so much for everyone around her. She would always make me smile when I was sad. She would get so excited by the smallest things and would dance around. Her light and her life was so special. Everyone who knew her loved her and even strangers who crossed her path left with a smile.
“The loss of her is a loss to the world, no one will ever read the book she was writing or hear her thoughts on the world. Whenever told her ‘I love you’ she would always reply ‘I love you more.’ She was too young and too special, her life ended way before her time.
“We are all hurting and we know in time we will need to lay her to rest. Funerals are not cheap, and we cannot afford it on our own. Above all else, pray for us and the families affected by this loss.
Give what ever you can, we are grateful for every cent and every good word and prayer.”
PHOTO: Chelsea and Ben Crawford