Three Topeka, Kansas, residents and one Urbana, Illinois, resident were among the fatal victims of a six-vehicle crash on Tuesday afternoon two miles east of the I-70 toll plaza.
A fifth fatality was not identified yet, pending notification of family members, according to the Kansas Turnpike Authority trooper’s report.
There were two semis and four other vehicles involved in the crash on westbound I-70, according to the trooper’s report. A fire broke out involving some of the vehicles, including the semis. The crash was in Leavenworth County. I-70 reopened last night, according to highway officials.
Sheldon H. Cohen, 83, of Topeka, was driving a Buick LaCrosse when he and Virginia Cohen, 79, of Topeka, were killed, according to the trooper’s report.
Ricardo Mireles, 38, of Topeka, another fatal crash victim, was driving a Ford Taurus, according to the report.
Also killed in the crash was Teresa J. Butler, 61, of Urbana, Illinois, who was driving a GMC Terrain, the trooper’s report stated.
A passenger in the Terrain was killed, according to the trooper’s report, but was not identified because family had not yet been notified.
The driver of a 2015 Freightliner semi, a 56-year-old man from Houston, Texas, had a possible injury and was taken to the hospital, the report stated.
The driver of a 2016 Freightliner semi, a 53-year-old man from Ashville, N.C., was not injured, according to the report.
A sixth vehicle involved in the crash, a Chevrolet Avalanche, was driven by a 53-year-old Ashland City, Tennessee, man who was not injured, according to the trooper’s report.
Troopers pieced together this report about how the accident happened:
“The Chevrolet Avalanche (Vh #6), and USXpress commercial motor vehicle (Vh #5) [the 2016 Freightliner semi], were stopped in the outside, westbound lane. Construction was ahead at the Eastern Terminal of the Kansas Turnpike approximately two miles west of the collision scene.
“The GMC (Vh #2) [Terrain], Buick (Vh#3) [LaCrosse}, and Ford (Vh #4) [Taurus], were slowing and preparing to stop in the outside lane.
The Indian Creek Express commercial motor vehicle (VH #1) [the 2015 Freightliner semi], was traveling westbound, in the outside lane. It crested a slight hill and, for an unknown reason, the CMV [commercial motor vehicle] (Driver # 1) perceived the other traffic late. Passenger’s side brake marks from the CMV were observed just prior to the first area of impact, and they trail towards the inside lane.
“The first area of impact was located in the outside lane, where the Indian Creek Express CMV (Vh #1) struck the GMC Terrain (Vh #2). Upon impact, the GMC was forced toward the inside wall and rotated counter-clockwise.
“The CMV (Vh #1) carried through and struck the Buick, (Vh #3) just in front of the GMC (Vh #2). The Buick (Vh #3) was forced to the northwest, and into a guardrail. The impact with the guardrail forced the Buick (Vh #3) to rotate approximately 180° [degrees] clockwise and came to rest in the north grass ditch facing south.
“After striking the Buick (Vh #3), the Indian Creek Express CMV (Vh #1) kept its momentum and struck the Ford Taurus (Vh #4) that was directly behind the USXpress commercial motor vehicle (Vh #5).
“The Ford (Vh #4) was forced under the rear of the semi-trailer of USXpress (Vh #5).
“The truck tractor, (Vh #1) of Indian Creek Express then struck the rear of the semi-trailer of USXpress (Vh #5). The USXpress (Vh #5) then struck the rear of the Chevrolet Avalanche (Vh #6) that was stopped. A fire ignited between Vh #1, Vh #4, and Vh #5.”