Shawnee Mission Northwest senior was teen killed in 9-vehicle crash in Overland Park
The 17-year-old who died Wednesday in a nine-vehicle crash in Overland Park was a rising senior at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, school officials said.
Will Ensley of Shawnee was driving around 6:45 a.m. southbound near the 11400 block of Metcalf Avenue, when another vehicle struck the rear of his car, said Officer John Lacy, a spokesman for the Overland Park Police Department.
The initial crash led to several collisions between seven other vehicles that shut down the roadway for hours.
“As you can imagine, this is devastating news for the family and for all of us here at Northwest,” Lisa Gruman, the school’s principal, wrote in a letter to families. “Will was an amazing presence in our community. We will keep the family close in our thoughts as we hold our Northwest community close as well.”
School and district staff will be available between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the school’s main office with no appointment required. If students or staff need to talk to someone outside of those hours, the school encouraged them to use the 988 National Hotline.
