Friday’s multi-vehicle injury crash southwest of Emporia had a notable ripple effect on traffic, and not just for the immediate highway closure zone that was effective for 12 hours after the wreck.
The Turnpike closure from the Emporia to Cassoday exits, a distance of 35 miles, caused a lengthy detour involving US Highway 50 from Emporia to Strong City and Kansas Highway 177 from Strong City to Cassoday. Traffic was congested on both highways through the detour, and Chase County Sheriff Jacob Welsh reported two different jackknifed semis at the K-177 bypass outside Strong City, a non-injury crash involving two semis on the highway near the Chase-Butler county line, a reported injury crash on the highway near Matfield Green, a car-deer crash on US Highway 50 and several driver assistance calls with some “very lost” drivers needing help.
There are no such reports in Lyon County at this time.
5:45 pm Friday: Kansas Highway Patrol releases crash narrative of wreck that shutdown Kansas Turnpike before sunrise Friday
The Kansas Highway Patrol has announced further details surrounding the accident, which shut down a portion of a major highway for about 12 hours Friday.
According to the KHP crash log, a 2007 Kenworth semi tractor driven by 22-year-old Jacob Alan Diamond of Hastings, Michigan, was disabled in the median of a stretch of roadway at KTA mile marker 119.8 northbound and was stretching across both lanes of travel just after 5:10 am. A 2024 International semi tractor, driven by Samuel Leonardo Belle of Phoenix, Arizona, then came into contact with the Diamond semi, causing it to become draped over the barrier wall.
A 2023 Kenworth semi driven by 60-year-old Robert Alan Wynn of Leon, Kansas, approached the accident and was unable to stop before striking the trailer of the Belle semi. Diamond suffered no apparent injuries, while Belle had complaints of pain but required no trip to the hospital. Wynn, however, was taken to Saint Francis in Wichita with possible injuries.
Emporia Fire had told KVOE News that a total of five vehicles were involved in the accident, including two passenger cars; however, the KHP report had no mention of other vehicles aside from the semis involved. It also did not distinguish which semis were carrying a load of cattle, a load of sausages and which was hauling a tanker carrying hazardous materials.
Regardless, KVOE was told the tanker never leaked its load of materials, while the situation involving the cattle is still unclear. Emporia Fire Battalion Chief Eron Steinlage has told KVOE News that 120 cattle were on board, and there is no word on how many survived or had to be euthanized.
All individuals involved were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident.
The Turnpike was closed for just over 12 hours between Emporia and Cassoday.
8:09 am Friday
Five vehicles were involved in a crash that shut down the Kansas Turnpike since before sunrise, but the situation could have been much worse.
Emporia Fire Battalion Chief Eron Steinlage says five vehicles collided at mile marker 120 southbound, or seven miles southwest of Emporia. The crash has involved two cars, as well as a semi hauling cattle, a semi hauling sausages and a tanker semi hauling hazardous materials. Steinlage says Emporia Fire/EMS observed as many as 12 people on site; none of them went to hospitals afterward. Also, the tanker never leaked its load. Emporia Fire’s Hazardous Materials team responded to the scene as a precaution shortly after the wreck was reported around 5:20 am.
The situation involving the cattle hauler is to be determined. Steinlage says 120 cattle were on board, and there is no word on how many survived or had to be euthanized.
Turnpike traffic has been detoured around the crash site since around 5:30 am and could be detoured “for hours,” according to Steinlage. The highway remains blocked between the Emporia exit at mile marker 127 and the Cassoday exit at mile marker 92. The detour involves US Highway 50 west from Emporia to Strong City and south on Kansas Highway 177 to Cassoday.
5:45 am Friday: Wreck involving two semis reported southwest of Emporia; KTA diverting both northbound and southbound traffic
Traffic on the Kansas Turnpike southwest of Emporia may be at a standstill for some time Friday morning.
Emporia Fire/EMS was toned out twice to the Kansas Turnpike mile marker 120 southbound, once around 5:20 am for the initial medical response and once less than 10 minutes later for hazardous materials response. Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope says a cattle hauler and semi hauling hazardous materials were involved, while the Kansas Turnpike Authority has said as many as two other unspecified vehicle were involved. Other details are currently pending. KVOE listeners have said several cattle are loose near the crash site, but that has not been confirmed by law enforcement.
The Kansas Turnpike Authority says southbound traffic is being diverted at the Emporia exit, or mile marker 127. Northbound traffic is being diverted at the Cassoday exit, or exit 92. Kandrive.gov indicates the preferred detour for northbound drivers is north on Kansas Highway 177 from Cassoday to Strong City and east on US Highway 50 to Emporia, with the reverse flow in effect for southbound drivers.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates.
