TREGO COUNTY — Slick roads are being blamed for several accidents early Sunday on Interstate 70 in Trego County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported just after 1:30a.m., an eastbound 1978 Chevy pickup driven by Richard Lee Popwell, 48, Broomfield, Co., left the roadway and entered the south ditch just east of Voda Road. The pickup rolled and the driver was ejected. The pickup came to rest on top of the driver.
EMS transported Popwell to Hays Medical Center. He was not wearing a seat belt and the pickup's license did not match the vehicle, according to the KHP.
At approximately the same time near the same location, an eastbound 2014 Nissan Versa driven by Ouali Bekakria, 28, Olathe, rear-ended a 2009 Ford F550 driven by Jordan P. Bleske, 28, WaKeeney, who was parked on the right shoulder of Interstate 70.
As a result of the crash, Bekakria was ejected.
EMS transported him and a passenger in the Nissan Roberto D. Salamanca Sandoval, 24, Kansas City, to Hays Medical Center. Bleske was not injured. The KHP did not have complete seat belt information.
Just after 1a.m., the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Chevy Silverado driven by Justin Merritt Ketchum, 37, Wichita, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of Voda Road.
The driver lost control on slick roads. The pickup entered the median and rolled. A passenger in the vehicle Renee C. Harmen, 44, Augusta, was transported for treatment in WaKeeney. Ketchum was not injured. Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.