WINNSBORO, Texas — The Klingensmith family was on a road trip from Mount Vernon to Kansas to visit family Thursday night when their vehicle hit an icy patch on U.S. Highway 69 in Linn County.
According to the Associated Press, Larry Klingensmith, 66, lost control of the pickup after it hit the ice, and the truck veered into a ditch. Then the truck rolled twice before landing upside down in a flooded wildlife area and becoming submerged. Larry and three passengers, identified as Kimberly Klingensmith, 65; Karly Klingensmith, 32; and Nicolas Klingensmith, 36, were all killed in the crash..
Karly, the youngest passenger who died in the wreck, was well known in the Mount Vernon community. She worked at Chophouse restaurant, where she instantly formed a connection with every person she met and served.
"When Karly walked through the door every day, it was like a ray of sunshine coming through the door," said Stephanie Hyman, owner of Chophouse. "Ever."
Those who worked alongside Karly describe her personality as infectious and joyful, never letting a bad day stop her from radiating light and positivity toward others.
"It was a brother and sister friendship for sure, said Chophouse bar manager Nathan Smith. "She would introduce me a, 'this is Smithy, my little brother.' No matter what was going on in her life, she made sure to put others first always and no matter what was going on there was always a smile on her face."
A few of the unique character traits her colleagues enjoyed about Karly was her smile and singing ability.
"She could sing like nobody else, it was awesome," said Gunner Traver, Chophouse server. "I had seen [sic] her Thursday before she left on her vacation and a song came on I started singing the song, she was singing as well. That same song came on Friday after everything had happened and it was a sad day."
When her co-workers received the call that Karly and her family had passed in the crash, they were in disbelief.
"I told Sheriff Jones, 'that's impossible, she was just here, it was 2 a.m., there's no way she can already be in Kansas," said Brad Hyman, owner of Chophouse. "The family had planned to leave real early that morning to go see their grandmother and aunt."
Karly may be gone, but her spirit will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her, along with the impact she had on people.
"She did talk about that she wanted all these stories of her told, she wanted everyone to remember her good and positive," said Baron Mcminn, Karly's boyfriend. "I think that's what I'm left to do...is to tell everybody, and I'm sorry the world never got to know her."