Kansas authorities identify two men killed in head-on crash after police pursuit
Two men died after a police pursuit for a stolen truck ended in a head-on collision Wednesday morning in Barber County, Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Chad Crittenden said.
Crittenden said the truck was stolen from Pratt by 39-year-old Johnathan Ahlvers of Halstead. The Pratt Police Department spotted Ahlvers and began pursuing the truck.
The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit that made its way into Barber County southbound on U.S. 281, Crittenden said.
Around 10:26 a.m., at U.S. 281 mile marker 34, Ahlvers crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a 2000 Ford F-350 that was heading north on 281, according to Crittenden.
Terrill Underwood, 70, of Medicine Lodge, was in the northbound truck trying to get out of the way. Authorities think Ahlvers intentionally drove into Underwood, according to the crash log.
Ahlvers died at the scene of the crash. Underwood was taken to Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital where he later died from his injures, according to the log.
This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 4:00 PM.