Separate crashes led to the deaths of a Coffey County man and a Greenwood County man Wednesday.
The Kansas Highway Patrol investigated a two-vehicle crash on US Highway 400 near Leon shortly before 6:30 am. A westbound car driven by 19-year-old Matthew Crouch of Climax crossed the center line and hit a pickup driven by 31-year-old Steven Simpson of Cottonwood Falls.
Crouch was killed in the crash despite wearing his seat belt. Simpson suffered minor injuries, but the Highway Patrol does not say whether he went to a hospital afterward for treatment. Both were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
The Highway Patrol has not said why Crouch’s car went across the center line, but it says weather conditions may have played a role in the crash.
Meanwhile, 48-year-old Vance Crutchfield of Burlington was killed in a one-vehicle wreck on 17th Road near New Strawn shortly before 3 pm.
Crutchfield was westbound and drifted off the road before hitting a guardrail. Crutchfield’s car crossed the road and hit another guardrail. He was taken to Coffey County Hospital in Burlington but was pronounced dead.
Crutchfield was wearing his seatbelt when the crash happened.
