Two killed in separate wrecks
Two people, including 92-year-old Dorothy F. Conyers of Marion, were killed in separate wrecks Saturday in Marion County.
Conyers died at 6:09 p.m. Saturday when a southbound 2022 Lincoln Nautilus in which she was riding pulled out from Nighthawk Rd. onto US-50 just west of Peabody and into the path of an eastbound semi-trailer truck.
The driver of the Nautilus, 92-year-old Ronald D. Ludwig of Florence, suffered what Kansas Highway Patrol characterized as a suspected minor injury.
He initially was not taken to a hospital but became ill after being taken to a home in the 200 block of N. 3rd St. in Marion.
He then was transferred to St. Luke Hospital, Marion, by a short-staffed Marion ambulance, borrowing an attendant from Hillsboro ambulance.
Marion and Hillsboro ambulances and Peabody firefighters initially were dispatched to the wreck.
Tampa ambulance also was ordered to stand by in Marion in case of additional calls, but it and Marion ambulance were told to stand down after firefighters’ attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation to rescue Conyers proved ineffective.
The semi, a 2024 Freightliner with Indiana license plates, was driven by 35-year-old Dennis E. Smith of Nampa, Idaho. He suffered no apparent injuries, according to state troopers.
Troopers blamed the wreck on Ludwig failing to yield after stopping.
Sheriff’s deputies directed traffic until 10:45 p.m., after both vehicles were towed.
In the other accident, a 22-year-old Idaho man riding a Kawasaki motorcycle was killed at 12:52 a.m. Saturday when he attempted to pass another northbound vehicle on US-77 near 140th Rd., three miles north of Florence, and collided head-on with a southbound 2019 Toyota Camry driven by a 19-year-old Wichita woman.
The motorcyclist was identified by troopers as Justin B. Williamson of Weiser, Idaho.
The driver of the car, Tina Ho, suffered what was characterized as a suspected minor injury and declined to be taken to a hospital.
Two sheriff’s deputies, Marion and Hillsboro ambulances, an ambulance supervisor, and Florence firefighters all were dispatched to the wreck.
Tampa ambulance initially was told to stand by at Canada in case of additional calls, but it and Hillsboro ambulance were quickly told to stand down.
Victims of both accidents were taken to Jost Funeral Home, Hillsboro.