On October 11, 2021, McKenna Winnie’s car was heading eastbound on Route 619 when her car was struck by a tractor-trailer traveling south at the intersection of Route 77. McKenna was killed in the crash. That same intersection had been the site of another crash just months earlier, when a dump truck traveling at high speeds t-boned a car.
In 2017, McKenna had only just begun her sophomore year at the University of Delaware when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. McKenna not only survived, but thrived. She pushed through the physical challenges of college, work, and everyday life with the support of her family, friends, classmates, and coworkers.
At the time of the crash, McKenna was working on her Master’s degree in public policy and public health at Rutgers and had taken a position at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research.
For those who knew her, her passing was unfathomable. She was considered a blessing to many. She was a remarkable woman who survived a brain tumor with deep faith and an enduring sense of humor. At 23, McKenna Winnie had her entire life ahead of her, but was gone in a devastating instant.