University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway today said the death of a 21-year old KU student on Friday in a Johnson County traffic accident was "a tragic loss for the KU community."

The accident killed Cecile Lynn Nativida Hernandez, of Olathe, who was a junior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at KU.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Hernandez was westbound in the left-hand lane of Interstate 435 when her 1999 Dodge pickup truck veered into the median, hit a sign pole and caught fire.

The accident occurred about 5:47 p.m. Friday. She was wearing a seat belt.