One semi passing another crashes head-on into car, killing Kansas woman

State troopers said a semi passing another semi on a Kansas highway crashed head-on into a passenger car, killing one 84-year-old woman and seriously injuring another 84-year-old woman.

Emergency crews were called at around 11:40 a.m. on Wednesday to an injury accident on U.S. 400 about a mile east of U.S. 69 in Cherokee County, the Kansas Highway Patrol said in a crash report. That’s about 2 miles northeast of Baxter Springs.

Investigators determined that a westbound 2020 Freightliner “attempted to pass a semi with insufficient clearance,” the KHP report states. Both semis moved to opposite shoulders, but the Freightliner still hit an eastbound 2008 Toyota Avalon head on.

The collision appears to have happened on or near the bridge over the Spring River. A photo of the wreck shared by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in a Facebook post showed guardrails on both sides of the highway as paramedics, firefighters and law enforcement surrounded the car.

The driver of the car was taken to Freeman Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her passenger was taken to Mercy Hospital with suspected serious injuries. .

The driver of the semi that crashed into the car had no apparent injuries, according to the highway patrol.

This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 11:52 AM.