Kimberly M. DePuy 1980-2002

Woman had planned a career in broadcast journalism

Kimberly M. DePuy, a UA journalism senior, died Sunday morning in a car crash west of Tucson that also claimed the life of her boyfriend. She was 21.

DePuy died just after 12:45 a.m. Sunday when the Ford Mustang she was riding in crossed the centerline of West Sweetwater Road west of North Silverbell Road and crashed into a Lincoln Navigator in the opposing lane, said Pima County Sheriff's Deputy Steve Easton.

DePuy - who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Mustang - and her boyfriend, 25-year-old A.J. Cornelius, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Jason Richhart, 23, was able to exit the burning vehicle, Easton said.

DePuy's roommate, Amy Hill, said DuPuy and Cornelius were dating for more than four years and were nearly inseparable.

"Everyone in the (journalism) department can't lift their heads up," said Jim Mitchell, assistant professor of journalism. "It's affected us all."

Mitchell said he not only taught DePuy but also advised her on choosing a career in broadcast journalism.

"Whatever she would have gone into, she would have done very well at it," Mitchell said.

Journalism senior Mabel Leal, a classmate in DePuy's broadcast journalism class, said she often chatted with DePuy.

"We'd just talk about girl stuff together," Leal said.

Leal remembered a time when DePuy came into class with the tips of her hair colored red.

"I told her how much I loved them, and she started talking about how she wanted them redone," Leal said. "She was normally very focused on what she was working on though."

Journalism professor Jim Johnson addressed his beginning reporting class on the news of her death yesterday.

"You'd never think this would happen to you; it always happens to someone else," Johnson said to his class.

DePuy's father, David, said his daughter was going to be the maid of honor at her brother's wedding Saturday, but the wedding will still go on.

"She would have wanted it that way," David DePuy said.

He said his daughter was always smiling, even if she lost at something.

"If someone did something better than her, it wasn't jealousy, it was praise," he said.

Hill said her roommate had her sights set on working for ESPN, but for this summer, she wanted to play softball.

"She loved to play softball," Hill said. "She played really well."

DePuy's father said the family plans to have the funeral in her hometown of Kingman. The date has not yet been set.

Anyone interested in funeral information can call Sutton Funeral Home at 928-757-4022 later in the week.