She was a bright, shining light.

More than one person used that metaphor to describe Kinlee Denton.

“The world may not all feel it, but it will be a darker place without Kinlee in it,” said Miranda Guthrie, Denton’s English teacher at Kingfi sher High School.

The world will lay Kinlee Marie Denton to rest at noon Thursday, March 21, at the KHS All-Purpose Building.

She passed away Saturday, March 16, at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City from massive injuries suffered in a single-vehicle accident the night before.

According to a report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, three teenagers were in a 1999 Honda Accord four-door car at about 11:54 p.m. Friday when it crashed on State Highway 33 at County Road N2920 (also known as the Big Four turnoff), about six miles east of Kingfisher.

The names of all three were withheld in the report due to them being juveniles.

The driver was a 17-year-old male, who was transported from the scene by Kingfisher Police Department to Mercy Hospital Kingfisher and then transferred to OU Medical Center.

The report said he was treated for head and hand injuries and released.

One passenger was a 15-year-old female who was taken to OU Medical Center by Kingfisher EMS after suffering head, arm, leg and both internal and external trunk injuries.

That passenger was later confirmed to be Denton.

A second passenger was a 13-year-old female who was taken by Kingfisher EMS to OU Medical Center. She was treated for head and trunk injuries and later released, the OHP report said.

The report said seatbelts were in use by the 17-year-old male and 13-year-old female, but not by Denton, who was ejected from the car.

All other details of the accident - including what caused the wreck and the condition of the driver - were still under investigation by the OHP at press time.

Denton passed away about 1:50 p.m. Saturday.

The daughter of Kevin and Lorie Denton, this was her first year at KHS. She previously attended Cashion and, before that, went to school in Texas.

Lorie Denton was hired at Kingfisher Public Schools as a behavior specialist this year.

Denton was a football manager in the fall and was also voted the sophomore class queen.

“Kinlee was beautiful inside and out,” added Guthrie. “If you could bottle up sunshine and spunk, that would be her.

“She had dreams and aspirations with a plan to accomplish them and I have no doubt she would have been able to do that.”

Denton had just begun working at Boomarang Diner in Kingfisher and had received her first paycheck the evening of the accident.

“She was so excited about it,” said Jessie Beverage, manager of the restaurant.

Beverage said she hadn’t known Denton for long.

“But I knew her long enough to care about her and to know she was hard-working, lovable and a great kid.

“The world lost a bright light.”

Her KHS counselor, Tracy Baustert, agreed.

“Kinlee was a bright spot in my day,” Baustert said. “She was kind and always had a beautiful smile on her face.

“She will definitely be missed.”