KANSAS (KSNT) – A bizarre December storm Wednesday wreaked havoc across the state with straight-line winds toppling trees, taking off roofs, and creating problems on Kansas highways for first responders.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported 51 non-injury crashes, 20 injury crashes, and two deadly crashes causing three deaths.
A 47-year-old woman stopped in the road was killed when she was hit from behind in Haskell County Wednesday just before 1 p.m.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash logs, a 2005 Peterbilt driver reported he did not see the 2014 GMC Terrain driven by Rocio Marieno-Sanz, 47, in the road. A passenger in Marieno-Sanz’s vehicle has suspected serious injuries.
The driver of the Peterbilt was a 66-year-old man from Garden City.
Marieno-Sanz was wearing a seat belt.
Two people died in Grant County on U160 after an eight-vehicle crash. Information about the fatal crash was not available Thursday morning. However, the Kansas Highway Patrol did confirm two people were killed.
In Shawnee County, an empty tractor-trailer was lifted off the ground by high winds and flipped over on Highway 75. The crash happened at 5:52 p.m., according to the KHP. The 50-year-old Texas man was transported to Stormont Vail with suspected serious injuries.
In Phillips County, in Northern Kansas, a 2012 Freightliner was pushed into the westbound lane of K9, laying the truck down on the driver’s side. The 63-year-old man was transported to Phillips Hospital with minor injuries.
A 26-year-old Indiana driver and his 55-year-old passenger escaped with only minor injuries in Nemaha County when the 2021 STO they were in was pushed by the wind off the road and flipped over. Both were wearing seatbelts.
A 60-year-old truck driver from Independence, Missouri was taken to Salina Regional Health Center after his 2014 International tractor-trailer was blown over on I-70 in Saline County just before 12:30 p.m.
Just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, a 68-year-old Missouri man was taken to Salina Regional Health Center with minor injuries after his 2018 Kenworth flipped on I-70 in Lincoln County.
In Trego County, a 62-year-old Olathe truck driver was taken to Hays Medical Center when his 2003 Freightliner was hit with “torrential” winds that blew the truck over.
Just after 4 p.m. in Saline County, the driver of a 2019 Freightliner was blown over and carried 50 yards, finally coming to rest in a ditch. The 73-year-old Hutchison man was wearing a seatbelt and suffered only minor injuries.
A 55-year-old Kentucky driver passing through Wabaunsee County was taken to Stormont Vail after his 2021 Peterbilt traveling west on I-70 was overturned by high winds.
A five-vehicle crash in Lane County on K4 sent one person to the hospital. A 2007 Mack Truck driven by a 24-year-old Ness City man was eastbound when he collided with a 2018 Western Star Truck driven by a 41-year-old Utica man. The Ness City driver then overcorrected and crashed into a 53-year-old female in a 2018 Ford Explorer. The driver of the Ford Explorer was taken to Ness County Hospital.
The Ness City driver then sideswiped a 2020 Peterbilt driven by a 55-year-old Plainville man, causing the Ford Explorer to hit 2007 Volkswagen driven by a 57-year-old Kansas City man.
A Gray County crash at 1:09 p.m. on U56 was most likely caused by blowing dust, according to the KHP crash log. An unknown semi pulling a grain trailer was being followed by two vehicles when the 2020 Silverado pickup directly behind the grain truck was hit by a 2021 Volvo Semi tractor-trailer. The hit pushed the Silverado into the grain truck, injuring the 42-year-old Nebraska driver and sending him to Western Plains Regional Hospital. The 39-year-old Florida Volvo driver was uninjured.
The driver of the grain truck did not stop.
