A weather-related crash in Pawnee County during Wednesday’s wind and dust storm sent two men to the hospital in Great Bend with what appeared to be serious injuries, the Kansas Highway Patrol reports. The injured driver was Derrick L. Mercer, 52, from Burlingame and his passenger was Abram De Le Ossa, 58, from Nogales, Arizona. Both were wearing seat belts.

They were both transported to the University of Kansas Health System - Great Bend Campus.

KHP reports that the crash occurred 4 miles east of Larned on U.S. 56 at 2:40 p.m. Other vehicles were stalled in the roadway due to the blowing dust. Mercer was driving east in a 2014 Ford Econoline and the vehicle struck a 2020 Freightliner pulling a Wabash trailer. The Freightliner was driven by Dean L. Fust, 58, from Humansville, Mo. He was stopped in the roadway due to the other stalled vehicles and low visibility, when the Econoline ran into the rear of the semitrailer. Fust was also wearing a seat belt and had no apparent injury.