Andover man killed in crash after making wrong-way U-turn; 2 Eureka men injured
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect spelling of Frank Hamell IV.
A 33-year-old Andover man died late Friday in a head-on collision east of Towanda, Butler County Sheriff Kelly Herzet said.
Frank Hamell IV was initially traveling east on K-254 but made a U-turn at Shumway Road at about 10:45 p.m., according to witness reports, and headed back to the west in the wrong lanes, Herzet said. Hamell’s vehicle struck a 2008 Chevy Avalanche just west of Hunter Road.
Hamell died at the scene.
Two Eureka men in the Chevy suffered serious injuries and were taken to Via Christi Hospital St. Francis for treatment. They are 61-year-old Bruce Detwiler and 75-year-old Paul Hendrickson, Herzet said.
Herzet said Saturday the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
“We don’t know what made him (Hamell) turn around and want to go back westbound in the eastbound lanes,” he said.
An autopsy on Hamell’s body has been ordered, the sheriff said.
Reach Amy Renee Leiker at 316-268-6644 or aleiker@wichitaeagle.com. Follow her on Twitter: @amyreneeleiker.
This story was originally published September 13, 2014 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Andover man killed in crash after making wrong-way U-turn; 2 Eureka men injured."