Kansas Turnpike crash kills 1, injures 1 near Belle Plaine

A crash on the Kansas Turnpike killed one person and injured a second Friday night near Belle Plaine.

Kansas Turnpike Authority spokeswoman Rachel Bell said few details were clear late Friday, but an initial investigation indicates a vehicle lost control in the northbound lanes near the Belle Plaine exit, hit a concrete barrier wall and spun around about 8:30 p.m. The vehicle was facing southbound and had no headlights on when it was hit by a second vehicle, Bell said.

A third northbound vehicle then hit and killed one of the occupants of the vehicle involved in the initial crash. It was not immediately known whether that person got out of the vehicle on his or her own, or was ejected before the fatal collision, she said.

A second person suffered injuries and was taken to Wesley Medical Center for treatment, Bell said. She had no other information on either person late Friday. Names are being withheld, pending notification of the victims’ families, she said.

Bell said it was unclear late Friday why the first vehicle had its headlights turned off. More details are expected sometime Saturday.

This story was originally published September 19, 2014 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Kansas Turnpike crash kills 1, injures 1 near Belle Plaine."