Local emergency crews have been busy with several injury accidents that have sent multiple people to the hospital Memorial Day.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash log, the first accident was reported at 8:30 pm at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 116.5 southbound, a little more than 10 miles southwest of the Emporia gate. According to KHP, a 2016 Nissan Rogue driven by 38-year-old Troy Hitesman of Topeka, was traveling southbound when the vehicle hydroplaned due to heavy rainfall, left the rodway to the right, entered the ditch and overturned.
It is unclear if Hitesman had to be extricated or exited the vehicle under his own power, however, he was taken to Newman Regional Health with what KHP calls potential injuries. He was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident.
Less than 10 minutes later and a little more than a mile down the road, a second accident occurred at mile marker 117.7 southbound. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash log, a 2022 Chevrolet Traverse, driven by 70-year-old Robin Craig Keehn of Fort Worth, Texas, was traveling southbound when the vehicle hydroplaned and struck the barrier wall.
The Traverse then left the roadway to the right and entered the ditch landing upright. The impact caused the airbags to deploy and sent Keehn and a passenger 71-year-old Patricia Opal Keehn to Newman with suspected minor injuries.
Both were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident. Nearly an hour later, crews were dispatched to US Highway 50 in Emporia between the US 50 roundabout and Overlander Road after a semi tipped over.
Further details about this accident are pending, however, one individual was taken to Newman with undisclosed injuries. All of the accidents occurred during periods of moderate to heavy rainfall that have been, and will likely remain, constant throughout the Memorial Day holiday.
