Authorities continue investigating a pair of crashes, including an injury wreck, that developed in foggy conditions west of Emporia early Monday.
Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope says deputies and rescue workers responded to the 400 block of US Highway 50, about three miles west of Emporia, around 2:30 am after a report of an injury crash and a semi fire.
The initial investigation says an eastbound pickup driven by 42-year-old Rene Santana-Santos of Emporia crossed the center line for unlisted reasons and hit a westbound semi driven by 35-year-old Johnny Pugh of Texas. Santana was trapped in his vehicle. He was extricated by Lyon County rescue workers and taken to Newman Regional Health with serious injuries. Pugh, meanwhile, was not hurt, but his semi caught fire and was destroyed.
Before authorities arrived, an eastbound car driven by 58-year-old Richard Kampff, Jr., of Cottonwood Falls ran over crash debris and wrecked. Kampff was not hurt.
US-50 was completely closed for three hours after the wrecks. It took nearly seven hours for the highway to fully re-open to traffic.
Cope says there was dense fog at the time of the crashes, and it may have been a contributing factor.
Deputies and the Kansas Highway Patrol are investigating.
8 am Monday: Traffic moving slowly past crash site west of Emporia, wrecks still under investigation
Traffic is still constricted, but it’s now flowing around a significant wreck site west of Emporia after two apparently-related crashes early Monday.
Westbound traffic was completely blocked for almost three full hours after the crashes, which developed around 2:30 am in the 400 block of US Highway 50. Westbound drivers can now use one lane around the wrecks. It took until around 7 am, or around 4.5 hours, for eastbound traffic to go through the area using one lane.
The crash investigation continues through the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Critical Highway Accident Response Team.
6:50 am Monday: One extricated, transported after first of two wrecks on US-50 west of Emporia; traffic still detoured
One person has been taken to Newman Regional Health for treatment after the first of two apparently-related crashes west of Emporia early Monday.
Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope tells KVOE News a pickup and semi collided in the 400 block of US Highway 50, about three miles west of Emporia. The crash was initially reported as a semi fire, but less than 10 minutes later, a secondary call was announced for an injury crash at that location.
The early investigation, according to Cope, indicates the eastbound pickup was driving left of the center line when it slammed almost head-on into the westbound semi, which then caught fire. A few minutes later, an eastbound car ran over crash debris and crashed.
One person in the pickup was extricated before being taken by ambulance to Newman Regional Health. Cope says his injuries are likely serious. Nobody in the semi or the car were hurt. There are no damage reports for the pickup or car, but the semi was destroyed by fire.
Conditions were foggy at the time of the crashes, but the weather’s involvement in these wrecks is currently unclear.
Westbound traffic is down to one lane around the crash site. Eastbound traffic is blocked at the Lyon-Chase county line. The official KDOT detour for eastbound semi traffic actually has drivers going either north on Kansas Highway 177 to US Highway 56 or south to the Kansas Turnpike exit at Cassoday.
We’ll have details as those come available on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.
6 am Monday: Traffic detoured around reported injury crash, semi fire on US-50 west of Emporia
Traffic is starting to move slowly around a crash on US Highway 50 about three miles west of Emporia.
The crash was initially reported at US 50 and Road C-5 just after 2:30 am. At the time, the call was for a semi on fire. Less than 10 minutes later, a secondary call was for an injury crash at that location.
Westbound traffic is down to one lane around the crash site. Eastbound traffic is blocked at the Lyon-Chase county line. The official KDOT detour for eastbound traffic actually has drivers going either north on Kansas Highway 177 to US Highway 56 or south to the Kansas Turnpike exit at Cassoday.
We’ll have details as those come available on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.
5 am Monday: Injury crash, semi fire reported west of Emporia
US Highway 50 is blocked in both directions after a crash about three miles west of Emporia.
The crash was initially reported at US 50 and Road C-5 just after 2:30 am Monday. At the time, the call was for a semi on fire. Less than 10 minutes later, a secondary call was for an injury crash at that location.
Details about the number of vehicles and patients is pending. The Kansas Highway Patrol says Lyon County deputies have requested the Critical Highway Accident Response Team, or CHART, to investigate.
We’ll have details as those come available on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.
