Emergency personnel and law enforcement dealt with several reported injury crashes Thursday.
Emporia Fire/EMS and Lyon County deputies responded to a two-vehicle crash near the intersection of US Highway 50 and Road E. According to Lyon County Deputy Jody Meyers, a 2020 Chevrolet Pickup truck driven by 37-year-old Joe Miller of Berryton was stopped at the intersection waiting to turn. At the same time, a 2015 Chevy Equinox driven by 20-year-old Alexus Stevens of Olpe was traveling westbound when Stevens lost control of the vehicle.
The Stevens Equinox left the roadway and struck the pickup driven by Miller. Miller and two passengers, 33-year-old Jacob Hill of Emporia, 58-year-old Kent Harr of Topeka were not hurt.
Stevens, however, was taken by ambulance to Newman Regional Health with what are being called minor injuries. All involved were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident.
Meanwhile, two wrecks on the Kansas Turnpike were reported as involving injuries, but only one actually had anybody going to a hospital as a result.
The wreck resulting in a hospital trip happened at the Turnpike’s Emporia exit shortly before 11:45 am. The Kansas Highway Patrol says an SUV driven by 62-year-old Karake Rwanuma of Wichita was southbound and took the offramp at an unspecified high rate of speed. Rwanuma slowed down for traffic but lost control and hit the barrier wall.
Rwanuma was taken to Newman Regional Health with suspected minor injuries. He was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the wreck.
Before that, a two-vehicle wreck happened on the Turnpike at mile marker 139 southbound, 12 miles northeast of Emporia, around 10:20 am after an SUV rear-ended a semi. The SUV driver, 57-year-old Mary Gonzales of Wichita, was listed as having possible injuries but was not transported.
KVOE News reporter Tagan Trahoon contributed to this report.
