A Junction City woman died in a two vehicle crash in Wabaunsee County Sunday night that closed a stretch of eastbound lanes of I-70 near the Paxico Rest Area for two hours. Tammy Patterson, 41, died in the accident, reported shortly after 7:30 p.m.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, the vehicle Patterson was in had run out of fuel and was stopped partially in the left lane of eastbound I-70, two miles east of Paxico. Another occupant in that vehicle was attempting to push it out of the roadway, when a 2013 Toyota Prius driven by Madison Connally, 23, of Ellsworth struck the vehicle from behind.
Michael Smothers, 40, of Junction City, who was pushing the vehicle, and other occupants and driver including Virgil Koppenheffer, 36, of Alabama, and Keturah Anderson, 32, of Alabama were all taken to Stormont Vail Healthcare in Topeka. The driver of the Toyota was also taken to Stormont Vail.
