Man dies while trying to stop runaway truck and trailer in Kansas, Highway Patrol says

A 61-year-old St. Joseph, Missouri, man died in an Atchison County, Kansas, accident Thursday after he chased down a runaway truck and trailer that had jackknifed, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

David Richardson was pinned beneath the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado and its trailer, officials said. The incident happened when the victim and his son were loading a tractor onto a trailer. The truck was pointed downhill and not all the wheels had blocks in front of them, KHP trooper Don Hughes said.

The momentum and weight of the tractor being loaded rocked the truck forward, Hughes said, and the victim tried to chase it down when the truck jackknifed, pinning him.

The incident happened around 1:53 p.m. on a private driveway, south of Atchison in a rural part of the county.

This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 5:10 PM.