A hit-and-run accident near campus killed a suburban college student.
It happened in Kalamazoo, Michigan, early on Saturday morning. A 21-year-old woman from Lisle named Kaylee Gansberg was killed. She went to Western Michigan University to study.
Her father, Keith Gansberg, said, “She had her whole life ahead of her.” “And this one thing took away everything.”
“We were there for her first heartbeat and for her last,” said Michele Gansberg, the baby’s mother.
After the crash, her parents rushed to Kalamazoo to be with her in the hospital.
Michele said, “I just wanted to be with my baby.” “I just laid down with her and held my baby,” she said.
The crash had hurt their brains, the doctors told them.
Keith said, “We only had a few hours with her before we lost her for good.”
Gansberg went to Western Michigan and got an honors degree in fine arts. She was ready to finish school and see the world.
“The things she kept doing just blew us away,” her mother said.
“She was just herself. She had everything she needed. She had no limits, “Alex Gansberg’s brother said.
“No matter where we were, she turned every bad thing into a good thing,” said friend Ashley Kowalski.
“She was so lovely. She had the best smile in the world. Her eyes were so pretty, “her father said. “I will miss her so much, and our lives will never be the same again. Without her, I’ll never be the same.”
Gansberg went to Lisle High School and got his diploma in 2019. The school district put out a statement that, in part, said, “From elementary school to high school, Kaylee was a lively part of our school community. Those who got to know Kaylee know how she changed the lives of those around her.”
In the hit-and-run case, police have caught a 22-year-old man who they think was driving drunk. There are still charges to be made.
