26-Year-Old Walled Lake Woman Killed In UTV Crash

WALLED LAKE (WWJ) - The holiday weekend took a tragic turn for an Oakland County family.

The Antrim County Sheriff's Office says 26-year old Kelsey Liepa of Walled Lake was killed Sunday night when an off-road vehicle she was riding in flipped over and trapped her underneath.

Sheriff's officials say the accident happened at 8:40 p.m. near Mancelona, northeast of Traverse City.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as Stevie Prottenger of Burt, wasn't hurt. He told investigators he lost control of the 2004 Yamaha 660 Rhino — a side by side UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) — while going around a curve.

Investigators said Liepa, who suffered a head injury, was wearing a seatbelt. Alcohol is not a suspected factor in the crash.

According to an obituary, Liepa earned a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Sciences at Michigan State University and then worked for Petkey LLC, a nationwide lost and found pet recovery database. She was known by those who loved her for her deep love and care for animals and was also passionate about physical fitness and karate.

Kelsey Liepa's father, Randy, is the superintendent of educational service agency Wayne RESA and former superintendent of the Livonia Public Schools.

Visitation will be held at Harry J. Will Funeral Home in Livonia on Friday, with a funeral set for Saturday at St. Aidan Catholic Church in Livonia.

In honor of Kelsey's love for animals, memorials can be made to the Michigan Humane Society.