By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Eight people were taken to hospitals over the weekend after sustaining injuries in three accidents involving seven vehicles.

US-56 south of Lehigh

Five people in two sport utility vehicles that crashed on US-50 south of Lehigh Saturday evening were taken to St. Francis Hospital in Wichita.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Emma D. Elliot, 17, Carlton, was driving a 2002 Cadillac Escalade eastbound on US-56 at 7:15 p.m. when a 2014 GMC Terrain ahead of her, driven by Warren L. Unruh, 69, Lehigh, slowed to turn north toward Lehigh. The Escalade rear-ended the Terrain.

In the Escalade with Elliot were passengers Lisa A. Elliot, 46, and Samual V. Elliott, 14, also of Carlton. In the Terrain with Unruh was passenger Delonna J. Unruh, 65, also of Lehigh.

The Escalade was towed by Auto House. The Terrain was towed by Absolute Auto Towing.

US-50 and Pawnee Rd.

Two people were injured a mile east of Peabody Saturday afternoon when the driver of a sport utility vehicle failed to notice that two cars directly ahead of her were stopped and waiting to turn left onto Pawnee Rd.

Undersheriff David Huntley said Katherine E. Donaghue, 19, Wichita, was driving a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe on US-50 at 4:35 p.m. when she ran into the rear of a 1996 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Andrew Scott Mock, 17, Milton, who was stopped and waiting to turn.

Ahead of the Camaro, also waiting to turn, was a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by Landon Rives, 16, Peabody.

The collision pushed the Camaro into the rear of the Grand Marquis.

Mock and Kacie Herbel, 18, Salina, a passenger in Donaghue’s Hyundai, were taken by ambulance by St. Luke Hospital.

The Camaro and the Hyundai were towed by Auto House. The Grand Marquis was towed by Absolute Auto Towing.

K-15 and 330th Rd.

An eastbound 2015 Ford Explorer driven by Aaron Herbel, 28, Tampa, was struck when Herbel drove into the path of an oncoming 1999 Pontiac Firebird at the intersection of K-15 and 330th Rd. at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Huntley said Herbel reported he did not see the Pontiac coming when he pulled away from a stop sign to cross the highway.

The driver of the Firebird, Randall Nichols, 52, Chapman, reported injury but was not taken to a hospital. His passenger, Caleb Nichols, 12, did not report injury.

Aaron Herbel and passengers Jenessa Herbel, 24, and Kade Herbel, 1, did not report injury.

Both vehicles were removed by Absolute Auto Towing.