College Student Falls from Bridge While Trying to Avoid Being Hit by Car

A 21-year-old Kansas State University student somehow survived a roughly 70-foot fall from a highway bridge after jumping backward to avoid being struck during a chaotic multi-vehicle crash.

Kyra Kinnison, a junior studying animal science, suffered serious fractures to her pelvis and back after tumbling from a bridge along Kansas Highway 18 near Ogden on Friday night.

The frightening chain of events began around 8:44 p.m. on Sept. 25, when emergency crews were called to a four-vehicle crash near the East Riley Avenue off-ramp.

Authorities said debris and damaged vehicles were scattered across the roadway when Kinnison found herself standing on the shoulder as another vehicle swerved toward the area.

According to friends, Kinnison had been traveling separately from her boyfriend, Dalten Grabast, as the couple headed toward Salina.

A large pallet of insulation had reportedly fallen from a truck onto the highway, forcing Grabast to swerve around it before stopping.

Another vehicle then crashed into his vehicle, according to Kinnison’s friend Sara Celeen.

Kinnison pulled over and got out of her car as the situation unfolded.

That was when another approaching vehicle began swerving to avoid the debris and other vehicles in the roadway.

Kinnison jumped backward to avoid being struck — but accidentally went over the edge of the bridge.

She fell approximately 70 feet and reportedly struck a tree on the way down.

Emergency crews initially had to locate Kinnison below the bridge before reaching her.

The Manhattan Fire Department said rescuers used high-angle equipment to lift her from the area beneath the overpass.

She was first taken to Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan before later being transferred to a hospital in Topeka for additional treatment.

Her injuries were severe.

Friends said Kinnison suffered fractures to her back, pelvis and tailbone.

She later underwent surgery to realign her hips.

Despite the extent of the fall, friends say she is recovering — and, remarkably, was not left paralyzed.

Celeen said seeing her friend survive such a massive fall was difficult to comprehend.

“I’m just glad she’s not paralyzed for life,” she told local television station WIBW.

She added that it felt as though someone had been watching over Kinnison.

“There was really a guardian angel out there, looking out for her.”

Celeen later shared an image from Kinnison’s hospital room showing the two friends smiling together as the college student continued her recovery.

Kinnison was initially listed in critical condition following the fall, according to local reports.

By the following days, however, friends said her condition had improved significantly.

“She is doing very well for someone who fell 70 feet,” Celeen said.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has since been created to help Kinnison with medical expenses, rent and other costs while she recovers.

The fundraiser describes her as a Kansas State student who suddenly found herself facing major medical bills after what began as an ordinary Friday night drive.

Kinnison’s friend told the Kansas State Collegian that the 21-year-old remained conscious and lucid following the accident, something that came as a huge relief when loved ones reached the hospital.

Friends have described Kinnison as kind, dependable and someone who regularly shows up when other people need help.

Now, those closest to her are rallying around her as she faces what could be a lengthy recovery.

Authorities have said four vehicles were involved in the original crash.

The Riley County Police Department and local emergency agencies have not announced any indication that Kinnison herself caused the wreck.

Officials said she was on the shoulder when she jumped to avoid a vehicle that was swerving around debris and other vehicles.

The circumstances surrounding the initial crash remain under investigation.

For Kinnison, the outcome could easily have been far worse.

A 70-foot fall is roughly equivalent to dropping from a six- or seven-story building, yet she survived with serious but treatable injuries and, according to her friend, without paralysis.

Her recovery is now continuing as family, friends and fellow Kansas State students raise money to help cover the costs of the accident.