Sara Smith, a Wichita State senior, was the victim of a fiery car accident Saturday night that killed four and left one in extremely critical condition.

Sara was studying dental hygiene and was two months away from graduating this May.

Just before 8 p.m. Saturday evening, the Ford Escape crashed at the intersection of Kellogg and Oliver. Sara, Andrew Montgomery, Victoria Dougherty and Jessica Metzger died on impact. Another passenger was taken to Wesley Medical Center with serious injuries.

Kelly Anderson, assistant professor with the dental hygiene department, had just heard from Sara on Saturday morning, the day of the crash.

“Hey Mrs. A,” Sara said in her text. Sara’s father, Randy, died from cancer on Thursday. He was 58.

“Thank you for being so supportive through all of this,” she continued. “We knew things were bad but we didn’t expect this. I am thankful for all of the time my family and I got to spend with him these last few months and grateful to spend the last two days of his life with him. I know you didn’t know him but you know me and my mom and dad very much made me the person I am. He was so giving and humble and warm.”

Family and friends suffered a double tragedy in the last week. Because Sara and her father didn’t have life insurance, expenses total more than $20,000.

Since the accident, friends and relatives began an online campaign to raise money for the funerals. As of Wednesday afternoon, the fundraiser collected more than $21,000 with donations from about 350 people. Donations can be made online at www.gofundme.com/7j8omo.

Sara’s classmates have also rallied to help collect money from the dental hygiene department and its students, faculty, staff and other donors.

Molly Dwyer, a WSU junior, and the Student American Dental Hygiene Association Chapter at Wichita State, have so far collected about $700 for the Smith family. Dwyer said they are hoping to get to $1,000 because a private donor offered to match whatever the students gather, up to $1,000.

“I would do it for anyone in our program,” Dwyer said. She didn’t know Sara personally. “It doesn’t matter who it is. It’s just the fact that we’re all going to the same college … I only hope that someone would do the same for me.”

Anderson said Sara had a maturity that was beyond her 23 years.

“Her focus was her family,” Anderson said. “The very first encounter I had with her, it was the first day of school. Her mom was having a knee replacement and she was just panicked about being at the hospital with her mom … Her family was just key to everything she did.”

For the last year and a half, Sara had been seeing dental patients at the clinic in Ahlberg Hall on the WSU campus. Anderson said that many patients would request Sara when they had an appointment.

“She was great, great with her patients,” said Barb Gonzales, senior clinical educator with the dental hygiene department. “Sara never seemed to have a bad day. It never mattered what was going on … she always had a smile on her face.”

Gonzales and Anderson both said it will be strange come Monday when students return to classes after spring break. Anderson said representatives from the Counseling and Testing Center will be in the building through the week to help students and faculty cope.

In the past, the university has offered postulate degrees to students who have died before graduation. Anderson said it would be an enormous honor if Sara was recognized at commencement this May.

Viewing services for Sara and her father will be 1-4 p.m. Thursday with the funeral service at 1 p.m. Friday, both at the Headley Funeral Chapel in Augusta, Kan. Shocker attire, jeans and tennis shoes are appropriate dress for both services. More information can be found on the fundraising site at gofundme.com.