The 10-year-old granddaughter of an Oxford police officer was killed in a car accident north of Wellington Saturday that also claimed the life of the girl’s 11-year-old cousin.
Kathrine “Kat” Tredway, and Thomas Alexander died when a 2500 Chevrolet Truck being driven by Lanny?Carter of Salina ran a stop sign on K-53?and U.S. 81, a two-lane highway known locally as county line road. Carter, 45, was not injured, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Kat Tredway is the granddaughter of?Oxford police officer?Bill Tredway and daughter of Wellington police officer Mike Tredway and his wife, Devena Tredway. The accident, which snarled traffic for some time, occurred near the Sedgwick/Sumner County line.
The family was going to Wichita to attend a family event, said acting Wellington Police Chief? Scott Funderburk.
“I believe that Mike and other family members had left a while after the ones in the wreck. They were detoured up that way because of the wreck,” Funderburk said.
Debra Alexander, Devena Tredway’s sister, was driving the 1999 Oldsmobile van involved in the accident.?Their mother, Linda Terry, was a passenger along with Michaela Alexander and the two children who were killed.
Debra? Alexander, 37, and her daughter, Michaela, 10, were? both listed in fair condition Monday morning at? Via Christi Regional Medical Center – St. Francis Campus. Linda Terry, 60, was treated and released, according to a medical center spokeswoman. The Alexanders are visiting from Haughton,? La. Everyone in the van and the driver of the pickup were wearing safety restraints, the patrol reported.
Funderburk and his family attend the same church as Mike Tredway and his family. Kat Tredway was in Funderburk’s wife’s Sunday?school class.
“We’re going to do whatever we can do to help them get through this. They’re part of our family,” he said.
Mike Tredway has been a Wellington police officer since 1998, according to Funderburk. Bill Tredway? just retired from the first responder unit in Oxford after 20 years of ambulance and fire calls. He remains a full-time police officer in Oxford. His wife, Vickie, is employed by Wal-Mart in Winfield.
Wellington police are taking up donations for the Tredways. A fund has also been established for the family at the First National Bank in Wellington.
“I know financial assistance will be needed,” Funderburk said. “You just never know.”
