A Russell man who was attempting to upright a motorcycle Saturday night was struck by a pickup on U.S. 281, about two miles south of Hoisington.
Kansas Highway Patrol reports Julian H. Gonzales, 46, died as a result of his injuries. He was standing in the roadway at 9:48 p.m. as he attempted to upright the motorcycle and was struck by a pickup driven by Kadie D. Halzle, 20, of St. John.
Kansas Highway Patrol and the Barton County Sheriff’s Office report several injury accidents over the last few days.
At 9:45 p.m. Saturday, Robert William Bruce Jr., 37, of Hoisington was injured when the 2001 Kawasaki he was driving dropped off the shoulder of U.S. 281, six miles north of Great Bend. Both the motorcycle and Bruce ended up in the ditch. KHP reports he was not wearing a helmet. He was taken to a hospital by private vehicle.
Two passengers in a 1995 Dodge were injured Saturday when the driver, Ben Cody Tucker, 20, of St. John, tried to beat a train on Avery Road in Reno County, three miles north of Langdon on K-61. The accident occurred at 6:53 p.m. Tucker was not wearing a seat belt but was not injured when the train hit the car. The injured passengers were Perla P. Desantiago-Rodriguez, 20, whose residence was not known at the time of the report, and Johnathan Paul Whitecloud Hysom, 20, of Langdon. Both were wearing seat belts and they were taken to a Hutchinson hospital with undetermined injuries. The train driver was not injured.
KHP also worked two injury accidents last Friday on Interstate 70 in central Kansas. At 1:52 p.m., a Ford Escape driven by Larry P. Delozier, 45, Wichita, collided with a Dodge Charger driven by Douglas Dean Shearer, 49, Hays, about five miles west of Russell. Shearer was taken to Russell Regional Hospital. Both vehicles were eastbound on I-70 and Shearer was preparing to make a left turn onto a crossover. Delozier, in an attempt to avoid a collision with a third vehicle and unable to see the Charger, drove left and entered the median, striking the car broadside.
At 3:23 p.m. Friday, a Dodge Intrepid driven by Ashleigh Michelle Bunker, 18, of Ellis, was westbound on I-70 in Ellsworth County when it crossed the median and entered the eastbound lanes. The call rolled, coming to rest on its side. The driver of a semitrailer took evasive action as the car was coming at him and swerved to the right, into the south ditch where the load, a large pile driver, came off the trailer. Bunker was taken to Russell Regional Hospital with possible injury.
The Barton County Sheriff’s Office reported minor injures were incurred in accidents on Saturday and Monday morning.
A Dodge Neon driven by Stephen D. McKiearnan, 48, Pawnee Rock, was stopped at a stop sign at SW 10 Ave. and Railroad Ave. at 7:33 p.m. Saturday and was hit from behind by a Toyota Tundra driven by Brandon J. Schwartz, 27, of Great Bend. Brenda McKiearnan, a passenger in the Neon, refused treatment at the scene for neck pain. She was taken by private vehicle to Great Bend Regional Hospital, where she was treated and released.
At 5:30 a.m. Monday, a Ford F-250 driven by Zachary Sammons, 25, of Pratt, was southbound on NW 40 Ave. when the passenger-side tires went off the roadway. The truck went into the west ditch and rolled several times, coming to rest on its wheels. Hoisington ambulance responded. The driver had cuts to his hands and head but refused treatment at the scene.