Tuesday, January 6, 2015

WICHITA, KANSAS MAN DIES IN ACCIDENT WITH CATTLE TRUCK NEAR NEWTON. THE MAN WAS TRYING TO PASS A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM WHILE DRIVING EAST ON U.S. 50 AT HILLSIDE ABOUT ONE OR TWO MILES EAST OF NEWTON WHEN HE COLLIDED WITH A TRUCK HAULING ABOUT 40 HEAD OF CATTLE



WICHITA, KANSAS MAN DIES IN ACCIDENT WITH CATTLE TRUCK NEAR NEWTON.  THE MAN WAS TRYING TO PASS A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM WHILE DRIVING EAST ON U.S. 50 AT HILLSIDE ABOUT ONE OR TWO MILES EAST OF NEWTON WHEN HE COLLIDED WITH A TRUCK HAULING ABOUT 40 HEAD OF CATTLE



JANUARY 6, 2015




A Wichita, KS man has died in a crash with a semitrailer hauling cattle just outside Newton, Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said Monday night.



Walton said the man was trying to pass a vehicle in front of him while driving east on U.S. 50 at Hillside about one or two miles east of Newton when he collided with a truck hauling about 40 head of cattle. The truck went into the north-side ditch, landed on its side and burst into flames, Walton said. The accident occurred at about 6 p.m. Monday.



The driver of the cattle truck crawled out and “appears to be OK” but was at Wesley Medical Center for observation, Walton said.



Walton did not have an age for the Wichita man, whom emergency workers pronounced dead at the scene.



As of about 9:45 p.m., responders had gotten 12 head of cattle out of the truck. Walton said he did not know how many still inside the truck were injured or how many were dead.



“The ones in the front of the trailer, they’re probably deceased,” Walton said.



Farmers are helping get the cattle out and setting up gates to keep them in one area as they leave the truck.



“Without them, we’d be lost,” Walton said of the farmers, adding that he feared cattle would get loose on the highway and cause more accidents.



A veterinarian was at the scene. Animals have been taken to a farm about a half-mile away, Walton said.


Walton said he expected U.S. 50 to be closed for a few hours while officials continue to investigate the accident.