Ice causes five separate weekend accidents resulting in three deaths

Covering the Southwest portion of the state, the Kansas Highway Patrol's Troop E had a busy Sunday responding to five injury accidents resulting in three deaths and all occurring within five hours.

"There was not a lot of moisture and (bad road conditions were) not very apparent," KHP trooper Ron Knoefel said. "If you looked outside, it didn't look that bad, but there were some slick spots and people were driving a little bit faster than they should have been for this condition."

Just after 9 a.m. and about nine miles south of Ulysses, 53 year-old Tito Medina of Hugot hit an icy patch of road along U.S. Highway 25, entered the east ditch and rolled his 2001 Ford truck two-and-a-half times, according to a KHP crash log. He had four other passengers. Medina and 17-year old Crystal Medina died at the scene. Lucile Medina, 48, and Raul Rodriguez, 25, were taken to a hospital in Ulysses. None of the passengers were wearing seatbelts, according to the report.

A truck slide off the road Tuesday afternoon on South Kansas Ave. The truck avoided colliding with trees and the driver walked away unharmed. Slick road ways Tuesday were the cause of many accidents due to the cold temperatures and falling snow turned to ice. Photo by Laura Eastes

Around 11 a.m., a 4-year old toddler, Alan Soltero, lost his life one mile south of Minneola along U.S. Highway 283, according to the report. Alejandro Gomez, 42, lost control of his 1999 Chevy Suburban, and rolled his vehicle. Of the five passengers, Soltero was the only one not wearing a seatbelt, according to the report. Gomez and two others were taken to Meade District Hospital.

Dodge City resident Irma Vasquez was ejected from her vehicle after Adiel Carcia-Canela rolled his 1998 utility truck one-and-a-half times along U.S. Highway 50. According to the report, both were taken to Western Plains Medical Center just after 9 a.m.

Knoefel would not suggest a specific speed when driving in ice, but rather said the driver should use common sense and feel out the conditions of the road.

"A drastic reduction of speed will be the best thing," Knoefel said. "Just like anything else, if you were to lose control of a vehicle at 35 or 40 miles per hour, the energy that you have to take care of is going to be so much less than if you're traveling at normal highway speeds. So that if for some reason lose control of your vehicle, it's going to be so much less energy that you carry into the ditch and if you have a higher speed, it's going to be a lot bigger possibility that you'll go a head and roll that vehicle."

Just south of Meade, Bobby Wells, 59, rolled his 2006 Dodge Pickup truck along the eastbound ditch of U.S. Highway 54 around 1 p.m. He was riding with Linda Wells and both were taken to Meade District Hospital for injuries.

A snow removal truck sweeped U.S. Highway 83 North of Turpin, Okla. at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning. Photo by Laura Eastes

Around 10:25 a.m., Wayman Bryan, 89, tried to pass a 2010 semi along U.S. Highway 283 just south of Dodge City. While trying to pass the semi, Bryan lost control of his 2003 Dodge pickup, struck the side of the semi, then rolled his truck in the east ditch of the road. He was taken to Western Plains for his injuries.

Knoefel said this year's sudden poor road conditions are largely to blame for Sunday's accidents.

For full article please see Wednesday's Times

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