LAWRENCE — A 24-year-old Lawrence man whose trip back to Lawrence was interrupted by a traffic accident on U.S. 59 north of the Douglas-Franklin County line Tuesday afternoon got back to Lawrence Wednesday afternoon courtesy of the Kansas Highway Patrol. But Darin Curtiss might not like the final destination – the Douglas County jail. A semi-truck driven by Brian Thornton, 64, Lawrence, turned from a side road onto U.S. 59 heading north and a pickup driven by Curtiss, which was going north along U.S. 59, slammed into the rear of the semi, state troopers said. A passenger in the pickup, Brandon Ellsmore, 23, Ottawa, was severely injured and flown by helicopter to the Kansas University Hospital. A hospital spokesman said there’s no record of Ellsmore. State trooper Edna Buttler said that after the accident, Curtiss ran away, prompting a search that included a Franklin County Sheriff’s K-9 unit and a KHP helicopter. Curtiss got a ride back to Ottawa and was later captured Wednesday afternoon in the 100 block of South Elm Street, she said. According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, Curtiss was arrested on suspicion of failure to report an injury accident, leaving the scene of an accident, no proof of insurance and habitual violator. He is free on $2,350 bond.
Thursday, April 8, 7 a.m.
