3-vehicle pile-up sends 1 to Wichita hospital
Staff writer
The driver of a car that pulled in front of an oncoming pickup Wednesday at the K-15 / Holly Rd. and US-56 was taken to Wesley Medical Center in serious condition after Hillsboro rescuers freed her from her car.
Ambulance director Chuck Kenney said drivers of a pickup and a semi also involved in the wreck were uninjured and up and walking when he arrived.
“Everyone else was lucky,” Kenney said.
Ambulances from Marion and Hillsboro went to the scene, and Tampa ambulance went to the Hillsboro ambulance station in case other calls came in, Kenney said.
Veterinarian Jessica Shearer, whose animal clinic is across the street from the wreck, hurried to help check the drivers’ conditions.
Kenney said the vehicles carried no passengers, so no one else was involved.
Hillsboro police helped with traffic control.
Colton M. Carney, 27, Salina, was driving a 2020 Peterbuilt semi owned by Custom Equipment Rental, Kansas City, Missouri, eastbound on US-56 when he stopped to wait to turn north onto K15 west of Hillsboro.
Kyle D. Funk, 42, Hillsboro, driving a 2011 Chevrolet C1500 west on US-56, passed the semi.
Maleiah G. Bartel, 18, Hillsboro, driving a 2013 Ford Edge owned by Jennifer G. Bartel of the same address, was stopped at a stop sign on the north side of the intersection of K15 and US-56, waiting to turn east.
Bartel turned onto US-56 as Funk entered the intersection.
Funk’s pickup hit the Ford on the driver’s side, causing the Ford to hit the front left corner of the semi. Funk lost control of his pickup, and it hit the semi trailer.
Both Bartel and Funk had to be extracted from their vehicles.
Bartel was taken to Wesley Medical Center by Marion ambulance. All vehicles were towed from the scene.
Deputy Landis Goodman reported inattentive driving was a factor in the accident.