'A gift for making people smile,' community remembers Hanover woman who died in I-795 crash
The Hanover community is remembering the life of a Hanover woman who died the day before Thanksgiving in a tragic vehicle crash on I-795 near Owings Mills.
Kaitlin Stranick, 30, of Hanover, was pronounced dead following the crash, which occurred in the northbound lanes of I-795 around 1:04 p.m. on Nov. 22, Maryland State Police said at the time.
According to a preliminary investigation by the department, police say a 2011 Ford F150 pickup, driven by Lashawn Wiley, 23, of Baltimore, was traveling south on I-795 when it crashed into the rear of a 2005 Ford F350 pickup.
Following that collision, the two trucks rotated into the median, where they struck the cable barriers before traveling into the northbound lanes of I-795. There, the Ford F350 crashed head-on into a 2017 Toyota Rav4, driven by Stranick. Another vehicle, a 2016 Toyota Corolla, crashed into debris from the other vehicles, police said.
Previously reported: Police: Hanover woman, 30, dead in Maryland crash
Born in State College on October 9, 1993, Kaitlin was the daughter of Stephan and Jennifer (West) Stranick.
She graduated from Delone Catholic High School in 2011, Slippery Rock University with a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation in 2015, and Drexel University with a master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2022.
Her obituary shares that Kaitlin "found her dream job" as a Behavior Specialist at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, a psychiatric specialty center in Towson, Maryland, where she took care of children experiencing mental health issues.
Kaitlin was a passionate equestrian and was deeply involved in the local equestrian community, as a member of the United States Equestrian Federation, United States Hunter Jumper Association, and Central PA Junior Horse Show Association.
Her second home, Swan Lake Stables in Littlestown, was where Kaitlin spent much of her free time, riding and caring for horses.
"Kate had a special gift for making people smile, for calming a spirited horse, and for comforting a child in crisis," read her obituary.
"Kaitlin had a great love for her family, friends, “her” kids at Sheppard Pratt and for all animals large & small."
"Her laugh and honest approach to life will be dearly missed by all who knew her. "
In lieu of flowers, donations in Kaitlin Stranick’s memory may be made to Sheppard Pratt, Towson, Maryland. Checks can be mailed to: Sheppard Pratt Development Office, 6501 N. Charles Street, Towson, MD 21204 or online at www.sheppardpratt.org/donate indicating Towson RTC under Other.
Harrison Jones is the Hanover reporter for The Evening Sun. Contact him at hjones@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Community remembers Hanover woman who died in I-795 crash
