COFFEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are reminding drivers to slow down and pay attention after a crash into a sheriff's vehicle at the scene of an earlier crash.
On May 8, a south bound passenger car on Interstate 35 in rural Coffey County struck a deer in the roadway just west of Beto Junction, disabling the vehicle in the roadway, according to a social media report from the Coffey County Sheriff.
As the driver exited the disabled vehicle, he saw 2 semi trucks approaching, taking up both lanes. The driver ran toward the median to avoid the 2 semi trucks as one of the trucks hit the disabled vehicle in the roadway pushing it into the median, past the fleeing driver, and to the edge of the north bound lanes on the other side. The truck then left the roadway and rolled over on it's side.
When our patrol officer arrived, he parked his vehicle on the northbound passing lane. next to the median, to move traffic over to the right lane so the passenger car could be investigated and firefighters could make sure that it was not going to catch fire, initiating every emergency light on the new 2026 Chevy Tahoe to warn drivers.
The deputy then went across the lanes of traffic to see about the driver of the semi. Within minutes, a northbound 2007 Honda Odyssey driven by Jacob William Waugh, 22, Topeka, rear-ended the Coffey County Patrol SUV vehicle at highway speed.
EMS transported Waugh to Newman Regional in Emporia.
The firefighters stated their gratefulness that the SUV was there to protect them from the distracted driver.
Officers and firefighters on scene observed several other near misses as drivers seemed determined not to be slowed by this inconvenience. One driver came to a stop and demanded the badge number of one of Coffey County officers who yelled at them to slow down, since they ignored his hand direction and the dozen or so emergency vehicles that had lined up to protect the first responders on scene. Eventually, KDOT was able to position two large trucks with crash bumpers to catch any further mishaps.
"This 3-crash incident may be an unusual occurrence, but the driver behavior is not unusual for us." "Please take the time to slow down. Even if no one is in the roadway, people are working the scene, entering and leaving the roadway. A first responder could even trip and fall into your pathway as they navigate the wreckage/scene on foot. After this incident, 3 tickets were issued to drivers who refused to move over or slow down.