(KAIR)--Details regarding three Atchison County crashes this week, two Wednesday and another Thursday that left several injured, are made public in a release from Sheriff Jack Laurie.
Laurie says the first happened around 11:20 Wednesday morning at U.S. Highway 73 and Osage Road.
According to Laurie, 43-year-old Cameron Mayer of Horton was westbound on the Highway in a pickup truck and, after passing vehicles and returning to the westbound lane, allegedly went onto the shoulder and overcorrected. The release says the pickup then entered the eastbound lane and struck the rear driver’s side of an eastbound passenger van driven by 40-year-old Brandon Cummings of Effingham. After the impact, the sheriff’s office says the pickup traveled west along the south side of the highway, went airborne across Osage Road, landed on its side, and rolled twice, with Mayer ejected.
Mayer was flown by Lifestar to the Univeresity of Kansas Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Cummings was not injured and refused medical attention.
Atchison County EMS and Rescue, Shannon Fire, and KDOT all assisted at the scene.
Laurie says the second crash came around 3:00 Wednesday afternoon on U.S. Highway 159 at Edwards Road near Muscotah, involving a semi.
The driver, Curtis Simon Jr., was negotiating a curve when the load in the trailer allegedly shifted, causing the tractor and trailer to lean and roll onto the driver’s side in the east ditch.
Laurie says no injuries were reported, and Atchison County EMS and Rescue assisted at the scene.
The third crash, Laurie says, happened around 6:40 Thursday morning on U.S. Highway 73 near 222nd Road when 43-year-old Jeffery Jewell of Atchison, in a northbound pickup truck, attempted to pass a semi-truck when he struck a southbound car driven by 60-year-old Darrell Peak of Atchison.
Peak was flown by Lifestar to the University of Kansas Medical Center for treatment of possible serious injuries, and Jewell was taken by Atchison County EMS to Amberwell for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Laurie says Walnut Fire also assisted.
