An accident in Geary County shortly after 10 Tuesday morning led to at least three injuries and a disruption in traffic for part of the morning.
Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Greg Harkrader tells KMAN the two vehicle crash was reported on I-70, about a mile and a half west of K-177. The road was completely shut down for about 15 or 20 minutes, and was reduced to one eastbound lane until about 11.
Lt. Harkrader says it looks like one of the vehicles was merging onto the interstate trying to gain speed, when the other vehicle came over a hill and had to brake. Harkrader adds the vehicle had nowhere to move with another vehicle in the neighboring lane, and ended up running into the back of the vehilce that was trying to merge.
Delmar Gehrt, 82, of Manhattan was the driver of a 1998 Dodge truck, which was the vehicle entering the interstate. Gehrt was taken to Mercy Regional Health Center. Six other people were taken to Geary Community hospital including the driver of the other vehicle, a 1999 GMC Truck, identified as Nicole Vopat, 28, of Salina. Passengers in her truck were Jeremy Vopat, 30, eight-year-olds Destiney and Derek Vopat, 10-year-old Dallas Vopat, and six-year-old Dalton Jones, all of Salina. They were all treated and released.
The Eastbound lanes of I-70 were affected.
