"Kelsey Anna" lost her life due to company/corporate policy/negligence that allows use of poorly-trained unsafe drivers.

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Kelsey Anna Hipp died in a very tragic automobile accident on Saturday April 27, 2019. Kelsey’s fiancé Ryan and her rescue dogs Miles and Lucy also passed away in the accident. Kelsey was traveling to Florida for a job interview, to visit family, and to enjoy the outdoors while on break between classes and graduation.

The accident occurred when a 17 year-old driver in a large pick-up drifted left across the highway center-line into Ryan’s path. Ryan was Kelsey’s long time friend and recent fiancé. The minor driver had the inside lane, with double-yellow lines, around a relatively sharp bend in the highway. Data from the crash indicates the minor driver was trying to get back into the correct lane after taking the curve too quickly. It was an offset head-on fiery collision with no survivors.

On late Friday evening, the weekly edition of the "Santa Rosa Press Gazette" comes out. The minor driver was to deliver bundles to a distant post office. The minor had only a non-commercial license for non-commercial vehicles. At age 17, she was also likely inexperienced driving a large pick-up. Lawyers representing the "Press Gazette" claim that Florida’s independent contractor laws shield them from liability to provide adequately-insured safe drivers. The "Press Gazette" was owned by "New Media Investment Group". A few months after Kelsey’s death "New Media" purchased "Gannett Co", including "USA Today", to become "Gannett Media Corp". Here is a picture of one newspaper bundle left in the contracted truck bed on that night:

Dated Newspaper Bundle – “Santa Rosa Press Gazette (Gannett Co)”.  Click here  for more photos.

THIS FUND'S MISSION: Donations will be used to hire a firm to investigate and lobby for updating Florida law on independent contractors. Corporations use current Florida law as a complete liability shield to maximize profits while putting the public at risk. Independent contractors are free to buy insignificant liability insurance and then use poorly-trained unmonitored minors to turn a profit. In this case, the independent contractor had Florida near minimum auto liability. One simple law change could be to require corporations to have higher backup liability insurance for contract deliveries at highway speeds. Another could be banning use of minors for commercial deliveries using any highway.

“Wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it. Right is right, even if no one is doing it.”  ~Saint Augustine (et al.)

A DAD’S PLEA: Kelsey’s nature was to help others, and she would likely have done so for another 50 years. Please share this GFM campaign anywhere and everywhere to help get her story out. It may be as important to share as it is to contribute. Sharing can save lives and costs nothing. It can be a butterfly effect, share Kelsey's story for fewer heart-breaking losses.

Note 1: Please consider giving something. Even a $5 or $10 contribution will "raise the visibility" of this campaign and create a lot more views. If you are unable to contribute, any sharing or publicity by you of this campaign would be appreciated. Contributions of $5000 or more will receive a personalized memorial picture thank-you card. If you have expertise or experience at what I am trying to accomplish and would like to help, please contact me.

Note 2: Legal and lobby fees are expensive, but if there are excess funds I will use them in ways that Kelsey would approve. I would likely donate excess to a UEPA scholarship fund for completing prerequisites, as this was a financial difficulty that Kelsey encountered. In addition, UE has always been very kind to the family. I might also donate some excess to the local humane society where Kelsey promoted rescues.

Here are a few more things about Kelsey that might help you to decide and contribute, or to decide and share this GFM campaign on your social media:

Kelsey was 27 years old. She had just completed her last day of school after her final year of working toward a Physician Assistant degree from the University of Evansville. It was going to be her third degree from her beloved UE at the ceremony in two weeks. Here is her PA class picture taken the day she left for Florida:

Please join us in congratulating our inaugural class as they completed their FINAL day of PA school yesterday! We could not be prouder of their accomplishments in the classroom and out on their clinical rotations. (Kelsey is on the right, second row up)

Kelsey was already a graduate of the University of Evansville, having received both a BS and MS in Health Services Administration. Kelsey was then the first UE student accepted into their inaugural Physicians Assistant program, and had completed all the requirements for that degree. Kelsey was kindly awarded her UEPA degree posthumously. Kelsey worked hard in school and life to achieve her goals. She had earned a 4.0 GPA on both her MS and high school degrees. With contributions from UE staff and students, and a photo that captures her joy and enthusiasm for life, here is a link to a newspaper article about Kelsey: COURIER-PRESS-ARTICLE 

Kelsey was kind, sensitive, and had an incredible work and life ethic. She often helped others at school. She cared for children to help pay for housing and other expenses outside of her loans. She loved butterflies, Taylor Swift, and Azzip Pizza. She enjoyed nature, hiking, camping, beaches, and many water sports. She cared for the environment, recycled, and had a “nothing wasted” mantra that she shared with others. She had a great love of animals and promoted rescue at the local shelter and found homes for strays. Over the years, she cared for several cats, dogs, snakes, and chameleons. Here is a link to Kelsey’s classmates spending a day in her honor at the humane society: UEPA-VHS-POST 

Besides her rescue dogs, Kelsey had a snake and a cat that were at home when the accident happened. They were found new homes with UE and family friends. Here is a picture of Kelsey’s rescue cat (cat tax):

Kelsey’s Rescue Stray – “Olaf”


“Kelsey Anna” at her UEPA White Coat Ceremony


UEPA "Inaugural" Graduating Class Picture. An Evansville artist, who was also Kelsey’s high school art teacher, was aware of her fondness for butterflies. He provided the artwork in this picture so that Kelsey could have a stand-in at graduation.

Kelsey is being missed by her family more than words will ever be able to express. She was an incredibly smart, talented, dedicated, sensitive, caring, beautiful human being. We continue to grieve and navigate the pain day by day. Our hope is limited to others benefiting from our personal tragedy, in her memory.

We very much appreciate whatever contribution that you give.