Ice storm results in 2-fatality accident

A Goddard couple died Saturday, Feb. 20, when their car skidded sideways into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 56 near Marion.

On Monday, Marion County Undersheriff Dave Huntley said Diane Brown, 57, and her passenger, Kenneth Brown, 61, were westbound?at the 300 mile marker?when their 2005 Chevy Impala lost control on the ice-covered bridge near Marion.

As the Impala slid sideways across the bridge, Huntley said, it was hit by an eastbound semi-truck owned by RDG Trucking and driven by Johnny Johnson, 37, of Emporia.

Kenneth Brown was pronounced dead at the scene, and Diane died at St. Luke Hospital in Marion.

Johnson was reported to have had no injuries. The two-vehicle collision happened at 5:18 p.m.

The storm caught many motorists off guard this weekend, Huntley said, with multiple slide-offs on county roads Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning.

?Several slide-offs were reported on Nighthawk,? he said.

Let caution prevail

Huntley advises motorists to allow plenty of time to get somewhere and to slow down when icy conditions prevail.

?A lot of people get in a hurry (resulting in accidents),? he said.

Huntley urges motorists to be cautious as warmer daytime temperatures thaw roads, only to refreeze at night.

Cold temperatures are expected to remain through the end of this week with highs in the mid- to upper 30s.

A small dusting of snow could also revisit the area late Thursday night and into Friday.

Storm claims others

Marion County wasn?t the only area with fatal accidents reported from last weekend?s storm.

The icy conditions affected roads throughout the state, with the Kansas Highway Patrol reporting two fatal incidents Sunday.

A one-vehicle accident near Deerfield claimed the life of a resident, Raquel Alvarado, 51. The crash also injured five others in the 2005 Dodge Durango, including the driver, George Garcia, 51, of Holcomb.

Another fatality happened Sunday in Shawnee?County when a semi slid on Interstate 70, causing it to roll and catch fire, killing the driver.

More than 20 other injury accidents across the state were reported Friday and Saturday as a result of icy roads, according to information provided by the Kansas Highway Patrol.

More from Hillsboro Free Press
Local athletes named Champions of Character
Two Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference athletes with local connections were named the...
Read More