Students return to school after classmate killed in pedestrian accident

Students returned to school at Oxford Middle School in Overland Park without one of their classmates. Their friend, 14-year-old Alex Rumple, was hit by a speeding car on Friday and died at the hospital on Sunday.

Rumple was walking home from school when a car had been speeding and driving out of control. Some witnesses say the driver had been driving up on the sidewalk before the teen was hit.

Alex Rumple

KCTV5 reports  that the loss of 14-year-old Alex Rumple is the second shock in just a few short days for family and friends brought together Sunday night, in grief.

Tons of people gathered together Sunday for Alex Rumple and her family.

On Friday afternoon, Adam Koehler was also on his way home. “We saw a huge line of cars going down Switzer. We wondered what happened,” Adam Koehler, who is friends with Alex Rumple, continued. “I heard it was Alex and I needed to know.”

“We saw police. We saw the demolished stop light,” Koehler said.

But he didn’t see his friend. She was already at the hospital.

“She’s outgoingly joyous. Friendly to everyone good and bad,” Koehler continued. “Everyone always wants to be near her, be with her.”

Friends and parents gathered together Sunday. Two teachers surrounded by the students read from the book The Outsiders. Rumple had been reading that book this year.

“How beautiful things can always, always go away at some point. And that’s true of Alex,” Koehler said. “I can’t imagine not seeing her.”

At this point Police have not said what caused the driver to veer off the road.