A fatal rollover occurred around 2:45 p.m. Thursday, March 23, in the 900 block of East Barton County Road, near Ellinwood, Sheriff Brian Bellendir reports.

Ronald Kelly, 84, was eastbound in a 1993 Ford Ranger pickup that left the roadway for unknown reasons before becoming airborne. A medical incident that may have occurred prior to the crash is being investigated. The vehicle struck a farm driveway and vaulted over the drive, landing in the field on the other side, and overturned. Kelly was not wearing his seat belt.

Kelly was the sole occupant in the crash. Personnel from the Ellinwood Fire Department and EMS extracted Kelly from the overturned vehicle and transported him to Ellinwood District Hospital before he was flown to a Wichita area hospital. Kelly later succumbed to his injuries. 

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Ellinwood Police Department, Ellinwood EMS Service, and Ellinwood Fire Department. A game warden from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks also stopped to assist.