A crash involving a semi-truck, early yesterday morning, led to suspected serious injuries for the driver. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 31 year old Eduardo Rivera Villareal was northbound on I-35 at mile marker 167, three miles south of Williamsburg, yesterday morning just before 3:00, when he apparently failed to negotiate a curve, sending the semi into the center median. He over corrected, causing the truck to go across both northbound lanes of traffic before overturning in the ditch.
Rivera-Villreal was taken to Overland Park Regional Hospital for treatment of suspected serious injuries. The Highway Patrol reports he was not wearing a seatbelt.
In a separate crash, in wet conditions, on the Turnpike South of Emporia, two Ottawans were very fortunate. Forty eight year old Gentry Nichols lost control of his pickup, hydroplaned and crashed into the center barrier wall. This was just southwest of the Flint Hills Cattle Pens exit. He and his passenger, 51 year old Erin Nichols, were either unhurt or declined treatment. That crash happened about 8:20 yesterday morning.
