A multi-vehicle accident left two dead and three people, including a child, hospitalized west of Emporia early Wednesday evening.
The crash was reported around 6:10 pm in the 300 block of US Highway 50 near Road C. Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope tells KVOE News five vehicles were involved in the accident.
The Kansas Highway Patrol says the crash developed as an eastbound semi driven by 46-year-old Travis Edwards of Marysville went left of center for unlisted reasons and hit a westbound SUV driven by 67-year-old Timothy Hoekstra of Chino, California. Hoekstra’s vehicle then rotated into eastbound traffic and hit a westbound semi driven by 32-year-old Quintia Rowe of Norfolk, Virginia. Meanwhile, Edwards’ semi continued into westbound traffic before hitting an SUV driven by 29-year-old Ryan Miller of Independence, Missouri, and another SUV drivenby 32-year-old Jacob Suenram of Lawrence.
Miller and Suenram were both pronounced dead. Cope says a child, listed on the Highway Patrol crash log as being in Suenram’s SUV, was taken to Newman Regional Health for treatment. Emporia Fire says the unnamed child suffered Level 1 trauma, which is the highest on the American Trauma Society’s five-point scale. The child has since been transferred to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.
Edwards, Timothy Hoekstra and a passenger, 69-year-old Judith Hoekstra, also of Chino, California, suffered suspected minor injuries and were taken to Newman Regional Health for medical treatment. Rowe was not hurt.
Besides deputies from Lyon and Chase counties, the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Critical Highway Accident Reconstruction Team (CHART) played a significant part of the investigation.
The accident initially shut down traffic entirely on US Highway 50 between Americus Road and Kansas Highway 177 before detours for both east and westbound traffic around the crash site were set up. The highway fully reopened around 1:30 am.
9:30 pm Wednesday: Two dead, child hurt in five-vehicle wreck west of Emporia; US-50 traffic near crash site still being detoured
Two people are dead and a child was hurt in a major crash west of Emporia early Wednesday evening.
Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope has confirmed five vehicles — two semis and three passenger cars — collided on US Highway 50 near Road C, with the crash reported around 6:10 pm. Cope says the fatal crash victims were in the cars. The child was taken to Newman Regional Health with undisclosed injuries.
The Kansas Highway Patrol’s Critical Highway Accident Reconstruction Team has been called to the scene. Troopers will lead the crash investigation and will have a final report once their work is done.
Cope says it could be early Thursday morning before the highway is reopened to traffic as they must allow time for the CHART team to conduct a thorough and complete investigation.
US Highway 50 was briefly closed in both directions between Americus Road and Kansas Highway 177. As of 8:30 pm, westbound traffic leaving Emporia was being detoured off US-50 at Road D. Eastbound US-50 traffic approaching the crash site is still blocked at K-177 in Strong City, while eastbound traffic from Road D and points east can use the highway without any detour.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
7:20 pm Wednesday: US-50 closed between Americus Road and K-177 after multivehicle injury crash
US Highway 50 is shut down between Americus Road and Kansas Highway 177 in Chase County after a multi-vehicle crash Wednesday evening.
The crash was reported around 6:10 pm on US Highway 50 near Road C. Lyon County deputies have not said how many vehicles are involved and they have not confirmed injury status for anybody involved.
US-50 is being shut down and truck traffic is having to use Americus Road or K-177 because of weight restrictions on certain culverts and bridges. Early indications are the highway could be closed west of Emporia for a significant period of time.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
