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March 16, 1979-October 15, 1998
Tiffany was born in Port Huron, Michigan, on March 16, 1979. Being the first of four children, her parents didn't notice that she was late in learning things other kids learn. From an early age, however, she loved sports, animals, and generally anything to do with the outdoors.
By the time Tiffany began attending kindergarten, her teachers noticed that there was something different about Tiffany's ability to absorb things. After testing, it was determined that she was "EMI", educably mentally impaired, or, as in the common vernacular, mentally retarded. Although she was switched to special education classes, her reading skills were such that she was "mainstreamed" with the other students for several hours a day.
It was also during this time that she really began to "show her stuff" as a ball player. She played on a boys little league team, and contributed significantly to their winning first place. She could hit the ball well, and had an arm that wouldn't quit! Not long after, the family moved to Tallahassee, Florida, while Tiffany's father pursued a degree in meteorology. Tiffany continued to play not only baseball and softball, but also flag football. One of her favorite things about Tallahassee was chasing and catching the lizards that would climb up the screens!
Upon her Dad's graduation, the family moved from the warmth of Florida to the snowy climate of Valdez, Alaska. Tiffany was almost junior high age, and played softball, loved to camp and fish, and hike up Mineral Creek Canyon. After two and a half years in Valdez, the family moved to Anchorage, where Tiffany continued her sporting pursuits, playing softball, and basketball on the Anchorage Central Jr. High Huskies girls team.
The next move took the family to Excelsior Springs, Missouri, in early 1995. Tiffany's Dad had taken a position with the National Weather Service in Kansas City, to escape the high cost of living in Anchorage. Tiffany was in high school. While in Excelsior Springs, Tiffany participated in Special Olympics, filling her walls with medals and ribbons. And, yes, her best event was the softball throw! She went camping, went on outings with Concerned Care, and held a three year position as the "Smiling Sacker" at the local Price Chopper grocery store. It was for her great big grin that she will always be remembered. Tiffany graduated in June of 1998 from the Special Education class of Excelsior Springs High School.
On September 19th, 1998, just three and a half months after graduating high school, Tiffany was with friends, returning from Metro North Mall (north of Kansas City). The driver of the car was seventeen year old Randy Simpson, also
a special education student at Excelsior Springs High School. Other passengers in the car were seventeen year old Mike Jones,
and sixteen year old Linda Story. Simpson was speeding, and a trooper from the Missouri State Highway Patrol attempted to pull him over. For reasons that will never be known, Simpson elected to try to outrun the trooper, despite pleas from the other kids in the car for him to pull over. After a six mile high-speed chase (during which time the others were begging him to pull over) he lost control, flipped the car, and struck a power pole. Simpson and Jones were instantly electrocuted. Linda Story was hospitalized with relatively minor injuries. Tiffany was life-flighted to the Liberty Hospital trauma center, with severe electrical burns and chest injuries. The chest injuries brought on a condition known as Adult (or Acute) Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Tiffany survived in the hospital on a ventilator and rotating bed for three and a half weeks. On the night of October 14th, shortly after her family had left the hospital, she went into cardiac arrest. Her family was called back to her side, where, despite repeated attempts at resuscitation, she passed away peacefully just after midnight.
Tiffany's legacy encompasses her local fame as the "Smiling Sacker" of Excelsior Springs' Price Chopper grocery store. Her family had no idea how great an impact she had on the community until her accident. Total strangers would say, "I'd had a bad day, and stopped at the store to pick up a few things on the way home, and there she'd be, with a big smile, a high-five, and (for more than a few) a hug". What a wonderful way to be remembered! Statistics indicate that 85 percent of high-speed police pursuits are for minor traffic violations, and ONE THIRD of all fatalities resulting from high-speed chases are completely INNOCENT, either passengers in the vehicle being pursued, or unfortunate occupants of another vehicle. Please write your legislators...end high-speed chases NOW! Click here to find out more about Tiffany's other favorite pages:
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