Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas was killed in a car accident and five teammates were injured

The 2024 Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas was killed and five of her fellow college riders were injured in a car accident in rural Kansas on Friday evening, school officials said.

Emma Brungardt, 19, a sophomore at Colby Community College and majoring in equine management and production, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

“Emma was a kind soul who welcomed people and always had a positive attitude,” the CC College Rodeo team wrote on Facebook.

“Their light will live on in and around the rodeo arena.”

Brungardt and four equestrian teammates were in a pickup truck driven by an unidentified 18-year-old.

The driver of the pickup was traveling south and “slammed between the Y and a line of trees,” causing the vehicle to roll over, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper wrote in an accident report.

The driver and four surviving passengers were taken to Citizens Medical Center in Colby, Kansas, for minor injuries.

On social media, people flooded the comments on her memorial posts.

“The team, students and families involved are in my prayers. As alumni, I know you all form a great community at CCC and will overcome this tragedy together,” one user wrote on Facebook.

The Miss Rodeo Kansas pageant praised Brungardt for her dedication to her craft and her rare light.

“Emma was a true gem and equestrian who embodied what it meant to be a rodeo queen and always went above and beyond what was expected of her,” Miss Rodeo Kansas Pageant said on Facebook.

“We will miss her infectious smile and unique personality.”

On social media, people flooded the comments on her memorial posts.

Brungardt attended the school on a scholarship. On her equestrian team, she competed in goat tying, breakaway riding and team roping.