A Wellsville man was hospitalized following an injury accident on Interstate 35 late Monday morning.
According to Lyon County Deputy Riley Jones, emergency crews were called to I-35 mile marker 134 southbound for a single vehicle injury accident just before 11:40 am. Jones says a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer, driven by 77-year-old Ralph Tracy Rippetoe, was traveling in the southbound lane and left the roadway to the north.
The vehicle traveled approximately 1,800 feet down an embankment between I-35 and Road 175 and struck a tree just east of the Neosho River. Rippitoe did not appear to suffer any injuries due to the accident; however, initial indications point to a potential medical issue as the cause of the accident.
Rippitoe was the only occupant of the vehicle.
Click here for a YouTube short from Monday’s crash site.
1:20 pm Monday: SUV crashes between I-35, US-50 east of Emporia
Authorities are investigating a wreck east of Emporia.
A southbound SUV went off Interstate 35 near mile marker 134, just east of Emporia, and wound up in a ditch near a creek between I-35 and Road 175. Confirmation of injuries is currently pending.
The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating.
