Wichita man dies after a work van he was riding in rear-ends semi-trailer along I-235
A 49-year-old man died after a work van rear-ended a semi-truck Wednesday on Interstate 235 in southwest Wichita.
The Kansas Highway Patrol identified the man as Justin R. Higgins of Wichita.
The incident was reported at 1:21 p.m. along northbound I-235 just south of K-42. A 2007 Chevrolet Express Cargo van was heading northbound on I-235 in the right lane. Higgins was a passenger in the van, according to a KHP crash log.
At the same time, a semi-truck that was stopped on the right shoulder of I-235 moved left into the right lane of northbound I-235, and was in the process of accelerating up to interstate speeds.
The work van was unable to stop in time and struck the rear left corner of the semi’s trailer.
Higgins was taken to Ascension Via Christi St. Francis where he died from his injuries. The driver of the van, a 37-year-old Wichita man, was also taken to St. Francis with believed to be minor injuries, the KHP said.
The driver of the semi, a 26-year-old man from Boynton Beach, Florida, was not injured in the crash.