13-year-old hockey player struck, killed by truck while getting on school bus

REEDSBURG, Wis. (WMTV/Gray News) - A Wisconsin hockey community is remembering a 13-year-old girl who died when she was hit by a car while boarding her school bus.

Evelyn Gurney died after she was struck by a passing truck while getting on the school bus in the Town of Excelsior Friday morning.

Evelyn played hockey for Reedsburg Wisconsin Dells Youth Hockey Coach Joe Uminski for four years.

“I think a lot of us are still in shock. It’s unimaginable, devastating and those are really the only words that come to mind,” he said. “She wasn’t a big kid but she was a spitfire, and she played like she was six feet tall.”

Uminski said Evelyn would play defense, forward, or any position he asked. He said she always gave it her all and had a long term goal to play hockey in college.

Uminski believed she had her sights set on the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

As of Saturday, Evelyn’s teammates are grieving but continuing to play the game in her honor. They taped her name and number on their hockey sticks.

Hundreds of Wisconsin hockey players and their families have also changed their social media pictures to an image with the letters EV 42, in honor of Evelyn, who’s number was 42.

Uminski said he told his young athletes to channel Evelyn’s spirit on the ice.

“That was my message to them and the whole group was to take that piece of her and put it in you and play like that, play like that every game in every shift and everything you do,” he said. “We love her. She was a very bright flame, and it’s been dimmed but we won’t let it go out.”

Evelyn also played for teams in Tomah, Sauk Prairie and competed with teams in Chicago.

Evelyn’s teammates started a GoFundMe for her family with a $1,000 goal. As of Saturday, the Goals for Gurney GoFundMe has raised over $58,000.

Copyright 2023 WMTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.