Crash that killed 16-year-old was ‘tragic accident,’ authorities say

Authorities in Harper County are calling a crash that killed a 16-year-old Anthony boy overnight a “tragic accident.”

Undersheriff Tom Burns said Tanner Asper died after he was thrown from a 1995 Dodge pickup that rolled once near Southeast 70 Avenue and Southeast 70 Road around 11:50 p.m. Sunday.

The teen was riding in the truck with 18-year-old Adrian Gerber of Anthony, Burns said, when Gerber came upon a T-shaped intersection while headed north on Southeast 70 Avenue and lost control of the vehicle when he tried to stop.

Asper was ejected when the truck flipped over. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Burns said Monday that there was nothing criminal that led to the crash and no charges were expected to be filed. “It was just a tragic accident,” he said.

First responders evaluated Gerber’s health at the crash scene but he refused treatment, Burns said.

The crash happened about 15 miles south and east of Anthony, which is a little over an hour’s drive from Wichita.

This story was originally published July 10, 2017 at 12:31 PM with the headline "Crash that killed 16-year-old was ‘tragic accident,’ authorities say."