17-year-old victim of multi-car pileup remembered as hard worker with bright future
The 17-year-old victim of a multi-car pileup remembered as a hard worker with a bright future.
By Mark Poulose
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SHAWNEE, Kansas (KCTV) — The 17-year-old victim in a nine-car pile up near 115th Street and Metcalf Avenue has been identified as Will Ensley, a rising senior at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.
The crash happened Wednesday morning when a dump truck hit Ensley’s car. The accident involved seven other vehicles. In total, nine cars were involved.
KCTV5 spoke to Ensley’s swim coach at SMNW, as well as one of Ensley’s teammates. Both said he was an exceptional person with an incredible work ethic who was going to make the world a better place.
“He was one of those kids, man,” said Ryan Lee, SMNW’s head swim coach for boys and girls swimming.
Ensley was a gifted swimmer who earned two berths to the Kansas 6A state meet.
“Will is old school,” said Lee. “His whole family, they just come to work, put on a hard hat and grind. That’s what’s special about him. He’s a different breed.”
“He was so happy to be at practice every day,” said Ryan Hagan, one of Ensley’s teammates and friends. “It’s super sad that we can’t swim anymore.”
Ensley’s friends and teammates remember him as a kid with a great smile. He was a swim team captain and manager for the girls’ team.
“He was always just so friendly. Every time I would see him, he would be smiling,” Hagan said. “His smile always brightened my day, so now I’m going to miss his smile.”
Ensley was about to start his senior year of high school. His goal was to finish in the top three at the state meet in the 100 meter breast stroke, but there was more to Ensley’s life than swimming.
“Will would have done amazing things. In whatever he chose to do, he would have done amazing things,” said Lee. “Everything Will achieved, he earned and worked for. We’re going to miss him, and it’s a big loss.”
KCTV5 reached out to Overland Park police to see if any charges had been filed against the driver that caused the crash. OPPD told us no charges have been filed yet, but their Traffic Safety Unit continues to investigate.
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