Accidents keep rescue workers busy
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 01:29 p.m., December 10, 2007
Updated 01:29 p.m., December 10, 2007
A rash of injury accidents caused by a freezing rain and sleet storm Saturday kept law enforcement and emergency medical personnel busy much of the weekend.
Several of the accidents involved vehicles’ rolling over, in town and on roads in the county.
Three of the accidents resulted in injuries serious enough to require victims to be taken to Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka.
Donald James Ruckel, 20, of Foley, Mo., was taken to Newman Regional Health for treatment of injuries received in a one-vehicle accident at Milepost 140, about 10 miles east of Emporia, on I-35.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol report, the accident happened about 9:45 a.m. on Saturday. Ruckel was driving a 2007 Ford pickup truck north on I-35 when he lost control of the vehicle, which rolled over into a ditch.
Ruckel was wearing a safety restraint.
Samye R. Havercroft, 47, of San Angelo, Texas, was taken by Emporia-Lyon County Ambulance Service to Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka after a one-vehicle accident at Milepost 135.8 on the Kansas Turnpike.
A report filed by the Kansas Highway Turnpike Patrol said that Havercroft was driving a 2001 Isuzu Trooper north in the right lane when it skidded on an icy bridge deck, left the roadway, struck a delineator post, and overturned.
Havercroft’s injuries were described as disabling.
A passenger in the vehicle, Michael L. Fairchile, 23, of San Angelo, also was taken by Emporia-Lyon County Ambulance Service to Stormont-Vail. His injuries were described as minor.
Both men were wearing safety restraints, the report stated.
Other injury accidents that were reported are listed below. Names of victims and full details were not available:
• 1600 block of Prairie Street, 9:48 a.m., Saturday.
• 1300 block I-35, 9:59 a.m., Saturday.
• 1300 block I-35, 10:03 a.m., Saturday. Driver hit ice on bridge, slid into median at Milepost 134; another driver also hit ice, followed the same path as the first driver, and T-boned first car. Two people were taken to Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka, one was taken to Newman Hospital, and a fourth person taken by personal vehicle to Newman.
F Injury accident, 1300 block Kansas Turnpike, Admire, 9:10 a.m., Saturday.
Non-injury accidents are published in the Daily Report.