Two Rantoul Residents were killed and a Paola woman was injured in a wreck on Kansas Highway 68, 8 miles east Ottawa in Franklin County yesterday morning. The two-vehicle accident happened just after 7 yesterday morning.
68-year-old James Tracy of Rantoul was driving east on Highway 68 at mile marker 37 when he lost control of the vehicle for an unknown reason and it hit a steel guard rail. The vehicle then veered into the westbound lane, where it was hit on the passenger side by a vehicle driven by 40-year-old Erica Drinkard of Paola who was traveling west.
Both Tracy and his passenger, 14-year-old Harry Mock Jr. of Rantoul were pronounced dead at the scene. They were wearing seat belts. Drinkard suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. She was also wearing a seat belt.
Harry Mock Jr. was an 8th grader at Paola Middle School. Paola Superintendent Matt Meek says counselors and extra support staff were at the school yesterday and will be available today to talk with students about the loss.
