'Something positive in their names'
Mother of Collinsville sisters killed in highway crash plans fundraiser
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| Kelli C. Uhl and Jessica E. Uhl, Collinsville sisters killed in a car crash on Interstate 64 in November. A fundraiser is planned July 13 to benefit groups the sisters supported. |
"I want to do something positive in their names," said Dorsey, the mother of Kelli C. Uhl, 13, and Jessica E. Uhl, 18, the sisters killed on Interstate 64 in November when a state trooper lost control of his cruiser and slammed head on into their sedan. They both died at the scene near Shiloh.
The deaths, which occurred a day after Thanksgiving as the teens were driving from a family holiday photo session, shocked the community, especially after an investigation found the trooper was driving 126 mph just before the crash. He's facing criminal charges in connection with the deaths.Dorsey, of Collinsville, said it's taken months to process the deaths and aftermath. But now, she said, it's time to remember her daughters for what they accomplished - and to support the organizations they loved.
She's organized "Jessica and Kelli Uhl: a celebration of two lives cut short," a fundraiser July 13 to benefit the Collinsville schools cheerleading program and the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Jessica Uhl Memorial Scholarship.
Kelli Uhl was a eighth-grade student at Collinsville Middle School; Jessica E. Uhl was a SIUE freshman majoring in marketing and public relations.
Dorsey on Monday said the evening at the Collinsville Knights of Columbus Hall is planned as part memorial, part celebration - an event to remember the best of what her daughters were.
"I want to do something positive in their names and to raise funds," she said. The night will include dinner, dancing and music, plus a silent auction and raffle for tickets to the St. Louis Cardinals, Gateway Grizzlies and Muny, along with numerous gift baskets, she said.
Asked whether it was difficult putting the event together, Dorsey said she's tried to stay positive and push forward, something her daughters would have wanted.
"It's actually a good, positive spin on this," she said.
So far, she's posted fliers at her work, a St. Louis law firm, and other businesses, and created a Web site, http://jessicaandkelliuhl.com/.
"We've had a good response," she said, adding that a steady stream of ticket sales have come from both St. Louis and the Metro East.
Dorsey, who has not talked publicly about the case until now, would not talk about the trooper who ran into her daughters, Matt Mitchell, who was badly injured in the crash. Mitchell, according to a coroner's inquest, was driving on eastbound I-64 to another call when he lost control near Illinois Route 158, crossed the grassy median and hit the white Mazda with the Uhl sisters inside, pushing it into a sport utility vehicle.
Mitchell, of Carlyle, is charged with two counts of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated reckless driving. He could face up to 16 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty in March.
The Uhl family is also seeking $24 million in civil damages from Mitchell and the State Police.
Mitchell, who has been suspended, was in court Monday for a pre-trial conference in the criminal case.
(Mitchell's attorney, John O'Gara, has repeatedly refused to talk publicly about the case; calls to him earlier this week were not returned.)
Dorsey said she was aware of the hearing, but declined to discuss her feelings about the case.
"I would rather not talk about all that," she said. "I'm not going to talk about anything with him."
Dorsey said she'd like to shift focus away from the upcoming trial and concentrate more on her daughters.
"The way we put it out there is as a celebration," she said. "And it will be a celebration."
Jessica and Kelli Uhl: a celebration of two lives cut short
When: Sunday, July 13, from 7 p.m. to midnight
What: Dinner, dancing, music, silent auction and raffle to benefit Collinsville cheer leading programs and SIUE Jessica Uhl Memorial Scholarship; tickets are $20
Where: Collinsville Knights of Columbus Hall, One Columbus Plaza, Collinsville
For more information, call 344-5531 or visit http://jessicaandkelliuhl.com/
This story has been changed to remove an inaccurate reference to the number of children Dorsey has.
