Multiple injuries after I-70 wreck amid Kansas dust storm, officials say

Multiple people were injured in an accident involving around five vehicles Tuesday afternoon on I-70 near Colby, officials said.

The low visibility from blowing dust is suspected as the cause, Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Tod Hileman said around 3 p.m.

Multiple people were taken to the hospital, but it was too early to say how many or the extent of their injuries, he said.

The crash was reported at 1:20 p.m. in the eastbound lanes. I-70 between Colby and WaKeeney was closed Tuesday afternoon because of the crash and blowing dust, a Kansas Highway Patrol official said. All I-70 lanes have reopened.

Initial reports are that the crash involved four SUVs and one semi, with one of those SUVs being “trapped under” the semi, according to Thomas County Emergency Communications scanner traffic.

About 90 seconds after the accident was reported, a dispatcher said a person called first responders from a couple miles away from the crash, saying there was a “brownout. No visibility.”

Ten minutes after that, a first responder mentioned more concerns with the weather.

“Traffic eastbound is starting to back up ... there is some significant blowing dust in the area, reducing visibility,” he said.

This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 3:31 PM.