Rash of fatality crashes hits K-10

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Oct 27, 2008 by Phil Anderson

By Phil Anderson

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

A fiery two-vehicle crash Saturday night that claimed the lives of two people was the third fatality accident in six days on K-10 highway near Lawrence.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, the latest fatality accident occurred at 7:45 p.m. Saturday on the K-10 by-pass, located just west of Lawrence.

The patrol said a 2003 Ford sport utility vehicle being driven east on K-10 by Daniel J. Harpool, 51, of Lake Lotawana, Mo., went left of center and struck head-on a 1990 Dodge pickup truck being driven west on the highway by Allan L. Eastland, 59, of Lawrence.

Both vehicles caught fire after the collision, the patrol said.

It wasn't immediately known whether Eastland was wearing a seat belt, the patrol said. Harpool was wearing a seat belt.

Another fatality accident took place at 1:40 p.m. Thursday in the same vicinity.

In that crash, a 2008 Ford Focus being driven east on K-10 attempted to pass another vehicle when it struck a 2003 Toyota Corolla, which was westbound on the highway.

The patrol said the driver of the Ford, James Harrison Keeton Jr., 21, of Lawrence, was killed in the crash.

The driver of the Toyota, Maria B. Thorson, 25, of Wauwatosa, Wis., suffered injuries and was taken to The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan. A passenger in the Toyota, John R. Revenew, 56, of Lawrence, was injured and taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

The patrol said Keeton wasn't wearing a seat belt, while both Thorson and Revenew were using safety restraints.

The other fatality crash occurred at 8:20 a.m. Oct. 20, when a 2005 Toyota that was eastbound on K-10 about six miles east of Lawrence went off the roadway, lost control, crossed a median and struck a 1996 Ford passenger car that was westbound on the highway.

The driver of the Ford, Helen G. Moorhead, 51, of Eudora, died from injuries she sustained in the accident. The patrol said it was unknown whether Moorhead was wearing a seat belt.

The driver of the Toyota, identified as Errin L. Lang, 38, of Lawrence, and a passenger in the car, Ryan M. Martinez, 32, of Lawrence, were reported injured and were taken to area hospitals. The patrol said Lang was wearing a seat belt but that Martinez wasn't using a safety restraint. A third occupant of the car, Allie Martinez, 10 months, who was in a child safety seat, was reported possibly injured.

Two other injury accidents were reported on K-10 during the past week.

A two-car crash at K-10 highway at East 1650 Road, on the east edge of Lawrence, occurred at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday. Two people, one from each car, were reported injured and were taken to area hospitals.

A one-vehicle crash took place at 12:40 p.m. Wednesday on K-10 highway, about two miles east of Lawrence, when a Jeep Grand Cherokee hydro-planed on the slick roadway, lost control, entered the south ditch and overturned. The Jeep's driver was reported possibly injured and was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.