Funeral services held for 11-month-old girl killed outside North Kansas City church

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Friends and family of an 11-month old girl said their final goodbyes Saturday.

Autumn Humphrey was hit by a car in the crosswalk outside First Baptist Church in North Kansas City last Sunday.

More than 100 church members crossed the intersection where the child was killed to attend the baby's wake.

The driver, who is also a member of the church, was at Saturday's funeral.

Family members say even before Humphrey was born, she changed people's lives.

She was born nine weeks early and her birth was high-risk.

"Autumn, in her life, made everyone better," First Baptist Church Pastor Tiger Pennington said. "In the journey forward, we'll continue to cherish the fact that she made people more courageous."

The most incredible element of her memorial service was the notion of forgiveness.

At at one point, Humphrey's family members wrapped their arms around the driver, who is in his 80s, and said, "We forgive you."

"If anybody doubts that faith is real, hear this," Pennington said. "There was the offer of forgiveness to the person driving the car and a mutual embrace. That's real. You can't explain that any other way."

Investigators say the driver accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake, hitting the baby, her grandfather and aunt.

Humphrey died just two weeks before her 1st birthday.

"Death will not have the final word and neither will darkness nor evil," Pennington said. "So long as there is forgiveness and grace, then love and faith will win."

So far, no charges have been filed against the driver.