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Witnesses, neighbors and passers-by did everything they could to save Feodora Two-Hatchett after the car she was riding in was hit Tuesday night in southeast Wichita, police said Wednesday.
But their efforts were in vain.
Feodora, 6, died at the intersection of Edgemoor and Mount Vernon, where her mother’s 2012 Ford Fusion was struck by a 2003 Acura going west on Mount Vernon “at a high rate of speed” just after 8:15 p.m., Lt. Joe Schroeder said Wednesday.
Witnesses estimate the Acura was traveling between 60 and 70 mph in a zone where the speed limit is 35, Schroeder said.
Feodora’s mother, Maria, was driving north on Edgemoor. Witnesses gave conflicting reports about whether she ran the stop sign at Mount Vernon, Schroeder said.
The Acura struck the rear passenger-side door, next to where Feodora was secured in a child safety seat appropriate for her age and size, Schroeder said.
“We do not believe either person was impaired at the time of this collision,” he said. “We believe speed and failure to yield right of way were the two predominant factors in this case.”
The driver at the stop sign must determine an intersection is clear before proceeding, Schroeder said, but the speed of the approaching Acura has to be taken into consideration as well.
“If a vehicle is traveling double the posted speed limit, it is very difficult for that driver to determine how fast that vehicle is moving,” he said.
The Acura’s excessive speed is going to “weigh heavily in this case,” he said.
Investigators hope to gather data from the vehicles’ onboard computers to help sort out the chain of events, he said. Computers commonly store data for the five seconds before an airbag deploys so investigators have some evidence of what happened before impact.
The 18-year-old driver of the Acura was not injured, Schroeder said. His 15-year-old passenger was treated and released at a local hospital.
Maria Two-Hatchett, 27, was in fair condition at Wesley Medical Center on Wednesday. Her 1-year-old daughter, who was in a child safety seat on the driver’s side of the back seat, was also in fair condition.
Feodora and her family were active in powwows at the Mid-America All-Indian Center and around the region.
She had a bright personality, family members said, and she was very intelligent.
“She made friends everywhere she went, and didn’t hold back her personality with anyone,” one family member said.
Her mother called her “amazing” and “wonderful.”
A memorial has been established in Feodora Two-Hatchett’s name at Mid-America Credit Union. Donations can be sent to 8404 W. Kellogg Drive, Wichita, KS 67209.
A memorial service for Feodora will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Tonkawa Community Center in Tonkawa, Okla.
