Turnpike accidents injure five
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 02:45 p.m., October 4, 2007
Updated 02:46 p.m., October 4, 2007
An Emporia woman was taken by ambulance to Newman Regional Health Wednesday afternoon after an accident four miles north of Emporia on the Kansas turnpike.
According to a report from the Highway Patrol, a 2000 Volvo driven by Susan W. Aber, 52, apparently left the roadway about 4:50 p.m. She over-corrected and lost control of the vehicle, which went into a ditch and rolled.
Aber was wearing a seat belt. She was treated at the hospital and released.
A similar accident already had occurred about 1:30 p.m. Friday three miles south of Emporia on the turnpike.
Bernd Goerlich, 63, of Winona, Minn., was driving a 2007 Buick that apparently drifted to the left. He overcorrected, went into the east ditch and struck an embankment. The car overturned and landed on its top.
Goerlich was taken to Newman, according to the KHP report, as were two passengers, Gerda Goerlich, 63, and Fred W. Wirsig, 74, also of Winona.
A third passenger, Ursula M. Wirsig, 76, also of Winona, was taken by ambulance to Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka.
All were wearing seat belts.