Two women, ages 96 and 63, die in Salina crash

Two people are dead after a crash involving a semi truck, a Kia and a Department of Transportation vehicle in Salina on Wednesday, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Marilyn Mayo, 63, of Salina and Emma Thomas, 96, of Marquette were pronounced dead after the 2013 Kia Soul they were in was struck by a semi truck that had left the road while traveling north on I-135, according to a highway patrol crash report. Mayo was driving.

The crash happened just before 4 p.m. about a mile north of East Magnolia Road. The semi driver, Kirk Simms of New Jersey, and a man in the semi who was in a sleeping berth at the time of the crash were not injured, according to the report.

Mayo and Thomas were traveling south on I-135 when the semi left the highway, crossed the median and struck the Kia, causing the rear of the vehicle to become impaled by a guardrail, the report said.

A KDOT truck was southbound on the shoulder of I-135 attempting to merge onto the interstate and tried to avoid the accident, according to the report.

A 23-year-old Salina man who was driving the KDOT truck was injured and taken to the Salina Regional Health Center. The KDOT truck ended up on its side after being struck.

The Highway Patrol is still investigating why the semi crossed the median.

This story was originally published March 9, 2017 at 9:34 AM with the headline "Two women, ages 96 and 63, die in Salina crash."