A pregnant Missouri woman was killed on a highway earlier this week after she was struck by a vehicle while trying to navigate the aftermath of a car accident, according to the Springfield Police Department.
Leah Hyde — a therapist who was expecting a baby girl — exited her vehicle after colliding with a divider and was then hit by a passing motorist, the police said.
The 24-year-old Willard, had been driving a 2015 Subaru Forester westbound in the inside lane of the West James River Expressway when the tragedy occurred.
It left her loved ones and the community in a state of profound grief — friends said that Hyde’s compassion touched her patients and their families.
“She wanted them to be the best humans that they could be as adults,” said Valerie Willis, who had known Hyde since she was an infant.
“She wanted to have her hand in that,” she told KY3.
“She was so proud to be a part,” Willis said.
“My dad was hospitalized, and she was one of the occupational therapists who came in to deal with him,” said Bernadette Shively, a family friend.
“And my mom and dad were like, she was so lovely. She was so personal. And she just cared,” Shively continued.
Hyde, who grew up in the Ozarks, married her husband Josh Snodgrass in November 2024. They were expecting a baby girl, Lark Elizabeth.
“We literally giggled and laughed and talked about all the things,” Shively said.
“And it was a baby girl, and how excited she was,” Shively continued.
Since Hyde’s passing, the community has rallied to support the family, raising over $50,000 toward their $60,000 goal.
“That is a show of how many lives they have touched. What this family has done for this community and been a part of.”
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