WINDOM, KS : Three people were killed in a two-car crash on U.S. Highway 56 on Wednesday, 6th June 2018

Three people were killed in a two-car crash at about 8 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. Highway 56 outside of Windom after a pursuit by area law enforcement, the Kansas Highway Patrol said.According to the crash log, a Nissan Versa driven by Miguel Casas, 29, of El Monte, Calif., crossed the center line and struck a Ford Thunderbird driven by Gerald Mindrup, 73, of Windom, nearly head on. Mindrup and Casas, along with Casas’ passenger, Sara Morales, 28, of Rosemead, Calif., died from the crash.

The highway was closed for about five hours between Fourth Avenue and Plum Street as the patrol’s Critical Accident Highway Response Team worked to investigate.

Rice County Sheriff Bryant Evans said Rice County dispatch received a call about a car driving erratically about 4 miles west of Lyons and a sheriff’s deputy was dispatched. The deputy caught up with the vehicle while traveling west on U.S. 56 near Lyons. The car was reported to be traveling east.

“The vehicle crossed the center line and almost hit my deputy. It forced my deputy off the road,” Evans said. “The first thing that kicked in to my deputy was public safety, so he kicked on the lights and sirens to make a stop.”

The car did not stop but continued east, and the deputy lost sight of it. A search was made for it within Lyons’ city limits. Evans said 5 to 10 minutes after receiving a phone call from his deputy describing the car, he spotted one like it heading east through town traveling at an “accelerated” rate of speed.

“Without radar I can’t tell you (exactly) how fast the car was going,” he said. He pursued, but also lost sight of the vehicle.

Evans then heard over the radio that Little River Police Chief Chad Johanning had spotted the car at 23rd Road and U.S. 56. He said Johanning initiated lights and sirens but it didn’t stop. They pursued into McPherson County when they came upon the crash. Johanning was unavailable for comment at press time.

Mindrup and Morales were killed at the scene, the crash log said. Casas was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center with “significant injuries,” Kansas State Trooper Ben Gardner said. He was then taken to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, where he succumbed, according to the crash log.

“If you ask why the (vehicle) didn’t stop, I don’t know,” Evans said. “I will never know. It’s just a sad day. ... A loss of life is a loss of life and it’s just tragic.”

The Kansas Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash, Gardner said.

Source :
Car involved in crash outside of Windom pursued by law enforcement