Highway 75 was closed near Scranton for several hours Saturday afternoon, March 18th, after a four vehicle accident that sent at least three people to the hospital. Osage County Deputies were called to the scene at 173rd and 75 Highway at 3:10 Saturday. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a vehicle driven by 18-year-old Nicolas Prater of Vassar was stopped on 75, waiting to turn left when a vehicle driven by 51-year-old Christine Thornton of Lyndon, struck the rear of Prater’s vehicle. Thornton’s vehicle then spun and ended up crossing over into the southbound lanes were a vehicle driven by 57-year-old Cheryl Ball of Osage City, struck Thornton head on. Both were then struck by a vehicle driven by 26-year-old Aubrey Smith of Cherryvale. Ball and Smith’s vehicles both stopped south of the intersection in the west ditch as Prater’s car came to a rest in the middle of the highway, and Thornton’s vehicle went through the intersection and into the backyard of a nearby home.
Thornton and Prater were taken to Stormont Vail Hospital with suspected serious injuries. Three other juveniles were also in Prater’s vehicle; however, officials did not release information about their identities or injuries. Ball was also taken to Stormont Vail with suspected minor injuries while Smith escaped the crash without injury.
