Law enforcement was stretched thin handling crashes after driving conditions went from wet to icy in a flash late Friday, although conditions are much better Saturday morning.
Drizzle froze quickly shortly before 5 pm as temperatures dipped below 32 degrees. When that happened, a lot of bridges and area highways developed black ice in a hurry. Lyon County Sgt. Zach Shafer says Lyon County authorities handled a lot of wrecks in under four hours.
Six people were taken to Newman Regional Health for treatment after three crashes near Emporia:
*Shortly before 5 pm, a crash developed at the Kansas Turnpike’s Emporia tollgate that ultimately sent three people to Newman Regional Health for treatment. Further details are pending through Emporia Police.
*A few minutes later, authorities went to the east side of Emporia after a car went off Interstate 35 near the East US Highway 50 junction after the driver, Luis Tosca-Placeres of Dodge City, lost control of the vehicle. Two passengers, 49-year-old Helmes Fernandez Roque and 46-year-old Daymarelis Cervantes Perera, both of Dodge City, were taken to Newman Regional Health — Roque with suspected minor injuries, Perera with suspect serious injuries.
*Shortly before 7:30 pm, a vehicle crashed near Roads 150 and H7. One person was hospitalized afterward. Details will be released by Lyon County deputies later.
Given the number of wrecks, Shafer says authorities had to prioritize their responses.
Lyon County Deputy Danny Broyles says a few bridges may be slick now, but the travel situation Saturday morning is a far cry from what developed Friday. Kandrive.org had most area highway conditions as dry as of 6 am Saturday. Coffey County highway conditions are seasonal, meaning dry or wet with isolated icy patches. In Emporia, the Police Department is still in Level 2 crash reporting, where drivers in non-injury wrecks can exchange insurance information at crash sites and then file reports at Emporia Police headquarters later.
The weather adjusted plans for a prayer vigil in memory of Emporia High sophomore Allison Hess, who died Thursday. The vigil, originally set for Friday, will now be at 7 pm Saturday at Emporia High’s main steps. Grief counselors were made available to help students and staff at Emporia High on Friday. Counselors will be available all next week at Emporia High and Emporia Middle School.
With the threat of winter weather now behind us, there is a chance of severe spring weather by mid-evening Sunday. All area counties are in a slight risk of severe weather, with hail and damaging winds the main concerns. Pockets of heavy rain are also possible. After the severe weather threat ends, windy conditions are expected for much of Monday.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
8:45 pm Friday: Trio of injury crashes near Emporia send six people total to Newman Regional Health
Six people were taken to Newman Regional Health after three ice-related injury wrecks near Emporia late Friday afternoon and Friday evening.
Crashes, both injury and non-injury, started affecting Lyon County shortly before 5 pm as a light drizzle began icing over, notably on elevated surfaces:
*Shortly before 5 pm, a crash developed at the Kansas Turnpike’s Emporia tollgate that ultimately sent three people to Newman Regional Health for treatment. Further details are pending through Emporia Police.
*A few minutes later, authorities went to the east side of Emporia after a car went off Interstate 35 near the East US Highway 50 junction after the driver, Luis Tosca-Placeres of Dodge City, lost control of the vehicle. Two passengers, 49-year-old Helmes Fernandez Roque and 46-year-old Daymarelis Cervantes Perera, both of Dodge City, were taken to Newman Regional Health — Roque with suspected minor injuries, Perera with suspect serious injuries.
*Shortly before 7:30 pm, a vehicle crashed near Roads 150 and H7. One person was hospitalized afterward. Details will be released by Lyon County deputies later.
Road crews have been out since around 5 pm, but Lyon County Sgt. Zach Shafer says travel conditions remain poor and drivers should wait to travel if possible. Conditions will improve after sunrise Saturday as temperatures climb from around 20 degrees to near 50 by late afternoon.
7:30 pm Friday: Four people taken to Newman Regional Health after separate wrecks near Emporia; Lyon County cleared from winter weather advisory
Lyon County law enforcement has been stretched thin handling crashes after driving conditions went from wet to icy in a flash late Friday.
Besides numerous non-injury slideoff crashes since 5 pm, law enforcement and Emporia EMS responded to three injury crashes, two between 5-5:20 pm and another shortly before 7:20 pm. Three people were taken to Newman Regional Health from the scene of a crash at the Kansas Turnpike’s Emporia interchange, with one person taken to Newman Regional Health after a crash on Interstate 35 at the East US Highway 50 junction. Another injury crash happened near Road 150 and H-7. Details from that crash are pending.
Road crews have been out, but Kandrive.org still has Lyon County highways as seasonal or partly covered. Emporia Police has been in Level 2 crash reporting, where drivers in non-injury wrecks can exchange insurance information at crash sites and then file reports at Emporia Police headquarters later, since around 5 pm.
As of 7 pm, neighboring counties have not seen the travel issues noted in Lyon County.
Winter weather advisories have now been canceled early for several area counties, including Lyon, Chase, Morris and Wabaunsee. Coffey, Greenwood and Osage counties remain in advisories until 10 pm.
5:30 pm Friday: Flash freezing underway on Emporia, Lyon County bridges; two injury crashes reported
Travel conditions went downhill considerably shortly before sunset across the KVOE listening area.
Light precipitation began icing shortly before 5 pm, leading to reported injury crashes at the Kansas Turnpike’s Emporia tollgate and Interstate 35 mile marker 133, or the East US Highway 50 junction, between 5 and 5:15 pm. Further details are pending.
Officially, Lyon County highways are listed on Kandrive.org as seasonal, meaning mostly wet with isolated icing. However, Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope says flash freezing is fully underway on county bridges. Lyon County Emergency Communications says road crews are now out treating roads and paved highways. Emporia Police, meanwhile, has moved to Level 2 accident reporting, where drivers involved in non-injury crashes can exchange insurance information at the crash site and report the incident at Emporia Police headquarters after conditions have improved.
Travel conditions could be poor through at least late Friday evening, so stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
2-5 pm Friday: All area counties in winter weather advisory until 10 pm
The prospect for potential travel issues has prompted a winter weather advisory for Lyon County and all surrounding counties.
The National Weather Service has all area counties involved until 10 pm. A thin glaze of freezing drizzle, freezing rain or sleet is expected.
Slick roads, sidewalks and parking lots are at least possible. Power outages are also possible.
11:30 am Friday: Coverage area for potential wintry mix expanded areawide
It wasn’t in the forecast Friday morning, but a wintry mix of precipitation is now possible areawide until as late as midnight.
The National Weather Service says it is now expecting an icy mix of freezing rain and sleet. It now says activity is possible across the entire KVOE listening area after targeting areas along and east of the Kansas Turnpike or south of Interstate 35.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for weather and travel updates.
10:30 am Friday: Freezing rain, sleet now possible south of Emporia for remainder of Friday
Conditions in Emporia and northward look like they will be clear the rest of Friday. That may not be the case south of town.
The National Weather Service says it is now expecting an icy mix of freezing rain and sleet until midnight. The Weather Service is targeting areas along and east of Interstate 35 and the Kansas Turnpike for this activity, which could obviously cause hazardous driving conditions until early Saturday morning.
KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media will keep you posted.
