GoFundMe for family of teen killed at Missouri recycling center nears goal of $10,000
A GoFundMe for the 16-year-old boy who died at a Missouri recycling park last Thursday has raised more than $7,500 as of Wednesday afternoon.
The fund for William Hampton, a sophomore at Lee’s Summit High School, was started Monday by a friend of the family to help the family with funeral arrangements and further expenses.
“As you can imagine his parents, sister and family are distraught their sweet boy will forever be 16 years old,” the post reads.
Hampton was found stuck between a trailer rig and its trailer at Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park, an area used for bulk trash disposal and yard waste recycling, at 10 a.m. last Thursday. The high school sophomore was taken to a trauma center where he was pronounced dead.
That night, Hampton’s community and high school, Lee’s Summit High School, learned about his death. Counselors were made available for grieving students and staff the next day.
“It is with deep sorrow that we are reporting the death of Will Hampton, a sophomore member of our Tiger Family, in a tragic accident this morning,” Lee’s Summit High School Principal Kari Harrison wrote in a message to the community.
The GoFundMe made to support the family discussed Hampton’s “kind and loving soul.”
“Will had the most beautiful eyes and contagious smile, he lit any room he walked into,” read the GoFundMe post.
Police originally identified Hampton as 17-years-old, but the next day said he was 16.
The recycling center, located at 2101 SE Hamblen Road, officially opened after Lee’s Summit landfill reached max capacity and then closed April 13, 2019, according to the center’s website.
The basic minimum age of employment is 16-years-old, according to the Wage and Hour Division website. Child labor laws in Missouri restrict minors younger than 16-years-old from working in hazardous fields where injury is likely — including saw mills and foundries — and minors younger than 14 are not allowed in such professions except in agriculture, entertainment or casual jobs.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation into the incident June 9.
It has not yet been determined if OSHA will make a referral to the Wage and Hour Division, said Rhonda Burke, deputy director of public affairs for the Department of Labor.
The company has no previous history of violations, Burke said.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch and Bob Cronkleton contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 14, 2023 at 5:07 PM.