GOVE COUNTY, Kansas (AP) — A motorcycle rider who was escorting the body of a World War II veteran died after he lost control of his motorcycle in western Kansas, and a second deadly crash happened minutes later when a car crashed into a firetruck responding to the first crash.
The Kansas Highway Patrol said the motorcycle crash happened on Interstate 70 in Gove County shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday. The second crash happened a few minutes later. The motorcycle driver was identified as 65-year-old Lennie Riedel of Colby, Kansas. The car's driver was 81-year-old Cal Silvrants of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
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GOVE COUNTY — Two people died in separate accident just after 7p.m. Saturday in Gove County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Lennie Riedel, 65, Colby, was eastbound on Interstate 70 at the Kansas 23-Grainfield exit. The driver lost control and laid the motorcycle over.
An eastbound 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by Tanja Batchelor, 51, Colorado Springs, struck Riedel in the passing lane.
A few moments later, an eastbound 2011 Honda Accord driven by Carl A. Silvrants, 81, Fredericksburg, VA., rear-ended a parked fire truck driven by Jerome L. Nelson, 35, Grainfield, at scene of the first accident.
Riedel was pronounced dead a the scene and was transported to Smith Funeral Home. Silvrants was also pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Schmidt Funeral Home.
Batchelor and Nelson were not injured. They were properly restrained at the time of the accidents, according to the KHP.
Debris from the first accident struck a 1993 Honda motorcycle driven by George Overton, 73, Colby. He was not injured.