Emergency crews had their hands full with a pair of injury mishaps that occurred in less than 30 minutes in the same location and sent two people to the hospital.
According to Lyon County Detective Eric Williams, emergency services were dispatched to mile marker 135 southbound on I-35, just east of Road R1, shortly before 2:30 p.m. for a reported non-injury accident. According to Williams, Carlis Bernard Hawkins Jr., 30, of Wichita, was driving a red 2010 Chevy Silverado northbound when his passenger tyre “failed,” leading him to rearend a 2021 Freighter semi driven by 31-year-old Rustar Ampar of Wheeling, Illinois.
Ampar denied medical treatment at the spot, while an anonymous passenger in the pickup needed to be transported by ambulance. A second accident occurred in the same area shortly before 2:50 p.m., when a 2000 Chrysler Sebring driven by 69-year-old Michael Springeman of Burlington swerved to avoid two yielded vehicles and collided with a 2000 Honda Pilot driven by 56-year-old Julie Paidar of Maple Grove.
The impact forced the Sebring to roll, trapping Springeman temporarily. Springeman was extricated by emergency responders and sent to Newman with probable minor injuries.
Paidar and two passengers, Briana Paidar (27), and Meghan Paidar (25), all of Maple Grove, Minnesota, were evaluated at the scene but rejected further treatment.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the second crash, although inattentive driving is suspected to be the reason.
Emergency workers are responding to an apparent injury accident involving a semi east of Emporia.
According to Lyon County Undersheriff John Koelsch, the collision occurred just before 2:30 p.m. near I-35 mile marker 136 southbound, approximately four miles east of Emporia’s city limits. Full details are still awaited, however preliminary indications suggest that the collision occurred after a pickup truck collided with a large in the region.
KVOE News has received images showing that other vehicles were involved, but specifics are pending an investigation. Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputies, Emporia/Lyon County EMS, Emporia Police, and the Kansas Highway Patrol all responded to the incident.
Traffic modifications are presently pending.
