Sabetha, KS : Motorcyclist killed in head-on crash with semi on highway 75 in Brown County on Wednesday, March 16, 2016

A motorcyclist was killed Wednesday in a head-on collision with a semi-trailer on US-75 highway in western Brown County, about 2 miles south of Sabetha, authorities said.

Arnold Lee Sherrell, 77, of Dripping Springs, Texas, died in a crash that occurred shortly before 5 p.m., according to a Kansas Highway Patrol accident report. Dripping Springs is a suburb of Austin.

The crash prompted the Kansas Department of Transportation to close US-75 from Sabetha south to its intersection with US-36 highway until midnight as crews cleaned up the scene of the crash and removed the semi from the ditch, according to Kim Qualls, a spokeswoman for KDOT. Traffic was detoured around the scene using Old US-75 highway.

Sherrell was alone riding a 2014 Harley Davidson motorcycle northbound on the two-lane stretch of US-75 when he moved into the southbound lane to pass a northbound semi-trailer.

Meanwhile, Tonya M. Vogt, 45, of Columbus, Ohio, was driving a 2015 Volvo semi-tractor, which was pulling a 2006 Wabash semi-trailer, southbound on US-75 in the southbound lane.

Sherrell had insufficient room to pass the northbound semi and collided head-on with the semi driven by Vogt. She then lost her steering capability. Her semi left the highway and caught fire.

Vogt was taken to Sabetha Community Hospital with injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening.

Sherrell was wearing a helmet and Vogt was wearing a seat belt.

Source :
Motorcyclist killed in head-on crash with semi on highway 75 in Brown County; highway closed for 7 hours