North Liberty woman killed, eight others hurt in three-car Missouri crash

UPDATE: A longtime Kirkwood Community College administrator described as "highly impressive" by her co-workers was killed in a three-car crash in central Missouri Sunday.

Lynn S. Fraker, 54, of North Liberty was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash by the Audrain County coroner.

Steve Carpenter, public information director for Kirkwood Community College, said Fraker was on her way to the Ozarks for a family vacation. Eight other passengers were injured in the accident, including some family members.

Fraker was nearing her 30th year at the local college, Carpenter said. She most recently  served as the Director of Career Academies, a program that connected area high schools to career information courses on 16 subjects. The courses count for both college and high school credit.

Carpenter said the Career Academies gave high school students a chance to try out different careers, and that over 4,000 students participated in the programs.

“Lynn took that [the Career Academies program] on as a champion,” he said. “She worked with dozens of high school in our area.”

Carpenter said Fraker also worked as the Benton County director for Kirkwood and ran the Vinton center for 16 years, noting that many students start college or get an upper level education close to home from the Vinton center.

Fraker, a Cedar County native, was at one time a dental assisting student at Kirkwood, he said. She enrolled in the program in 1974, after graduating from high school.

Carpenter said Fraker went on to earn her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa after attending Kirkwood, and earned a masters degree in education from Iowa State University in 2005.

Carpenter said he met Fraker in 1989 where they worked in the same building together. He described her as a highly impressive professional person.

“As somebody who knew her well told me, and I agree, there is no halfway doing anything with Lynn Fraker,” he said. “Everything she tried to do she did one hundred percent and in the best way. That was her legacy.”

Kirkwood President Mick Starcevich noted the sadness and shock of the campus community on the news of Fraker's passing.

“This is a stunning loss for our college, a tragedy that reaches out through our whole region.  Lynn Fraker a dedicated educational leader and devoted community servant in eastern Iowa. From her small-town roots in Cedar County, she built her career at Kirkwood first. Then she grew her educational wisdom through many roles at our college. Her accomplishments embraced health care, then reached out to broader goals. It was Lynn's daily, diligent community service that made her years in Vinton a model for our county center education. Most of all, she was a champion of giving high school students a quality early start on job skills and knowledge through the Career Academy programs. Many thousands of young people are better off through Lynn Fraker's contributions. We offer our sympathy and support to her family and the many friends and colleagues who feel this loss so deeply today,” Starcevich said.

According to the Missouri State Patrol, a car driven by Charles D. Howdeshell, 50, of Vandalia, Mo., was eastbound on Highway 54 west of Route A, near Mexico, Mo., just after 2 p.m. Sunday when Howdeshell attempted to pass another eastbound car driven by Douglas R. Hill, 50, of North Liberty. Howdeshell's car struck Hill's car, sending it into the opposite lane, where it collided head-on with a westbound car driven by Robert P. Becker, 50, of Laddonia, Mo.

Fraker, riding in Hill's car, was killed. Hill suffered serious injuries in the crash, as did two other passengers in his car - Jay A. Ballenger, 52, and Karen K. Ballenger, 51, both of Tipton. All three were taken to Audrain Medical Center in Mexico. Hill was later taken by helicopter to University Hospital in Columbia, Mo.

Robert Becker was also injured, as were four other people in his car - Denise Becker, 51, Mackenzie D. Becker, 21, Christopher R. Becker, 19, and Alexander J. Becker, 14, all of Laddonia. They were all taken to Audrain Medical Center; Robert Becker was later taken by helicopter to University Hospital in Columbia.

Howdeshell was uninjured, and was taken to the Audrain County Jail.

Fraker leaves behind one son. Funeral services are pending at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home in Vinton.

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