A multiple fatality accident caused traffic to be blocked on K-18 for five and a half hours Monday morning. Kansas Highway Patrol Lt. Greg Harkrader tells KMAN the call came in shortly before three in the morning. Harkrader adds at least two have died in connection with the accident. According to the Kansas Highway patrol report Elizabeth Young, 31, of White City and Micheal Stanley, 30, of Ogden were killed when their 2001 LeSabre was struck head on by the other drivers 2003 Silverado driven by Miles Theurer, 23, of Wellington.
Theurer was reported to be driving the wrong way eastbound on K-18 when he struck Elizabeth Young’s car which was heading the correct way westbound on K-18. Young and Stanley were reportedly from Ogden Kansas.
There were four occupants in the truck going the wrong way were transported to Mercy Regional Health Center, with two of the passengers subsequently transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka for serious injuries. Those four are reportedly Kansas State students. Theurer was transported to Mercy Regional Health Center. Theurer’s passengers included Joseph Illif, 25, of Manhattan, Andrew Mason, 25, of Colorado, and Lance Schmidt, 23, of Nebraska. Illif was transported to Stormont Vail, Mason was taken to Mercy Regional Health Center while Schmidt was also taken to Stormont Vail.
Lt. Harkrader adds it’s believed alcohol was involved in the crash, which kept K-18 closed in both directions until 9:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, two people were injured in a Friday night accident on K-18. The Kansas HIghway patrol reports Zachary Cruz, 25, of Garden City was taken to St. Francis in Wichita, with William Melcher, 27, of New York taken to mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan.
The accident occured about a mile anda half west of K-113. A 2009 GMC Cannon driven by Cruz was eastbound on K-18, with a 2002 BMW driven by Melcher westbound. Cruz crossed the center line into the westbound lanes and struck Melcher’s BMW head-on.
The accident occurred at 9:15 Friday night.
