Here’s how to help the family of the pregnant Wichita woman killed in Tuesday’s crash
A GoFundMe account is raising money for the family of an expectant Wichita woman whose baby boy was delivered prematurely after a traffic crash that fatally injured her Tuesday.
Samantha Russell, who was 33 weeks pregnant, died after a man fleeing from police in a Dodge Ram ran a red traffic light at Central and Ridge and slammed into her car while she was waiting to make a left-hand turn at the intersection. The collision, which involved a total of four vehicles including Russell’s, happened a few minutes before 5 p.m., according to a Kansas Highway Patrol crash report.
She was the only person who died. The fleeing driver who hit her is under arrest and could face a murder charge, Wichita police said.
Russell’s child was delivered in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
Her husband, Brandon Russell, told The Eagle in a message Wednesday that his son, named Mac, is healthy but initially “was not doing so great.” He’s since improved “and is expected to pull through,” he wrote, but remains hospitalized.
The baby’s original due date was in August, according to the couple’s online baby registry.
Russell, a local Realtor and crafter of custom hand-stamped jewelry, was 22. Her husband is in the military.
The GoFundMe account is asking for contributions to help support her family following her death. It had more than doubled its $5,000 goal within a few hours of its creation.
“Samantha was an amazing individual who left an impact on everyone she met,” it says. “Please consider donating something to assist the family in this time of tragedy and please keep them in your prayers.”
You can find the GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/f/wsph3-support-for-the-russell-family.
This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Here’s how to help the family of the pregnant Wichita woman killed in Tuesday’s crash."
