A devastating crash on Interstate 70 in Wabaunsee County claimed the lives of a mother and her son Friday afternoon, leaving a young child hospitalized and a community mourning an unimaginable loss.
According to investigators, 70-year-old Barbara Krier of Great Bend was traveling westbound on I-70 with her 50-year-old son, Steven Reed of Topeka, and a 7-year-old child when tragedy struck near mile marker 330.7, just west of Spring Creek Road.
Authorities said a Kenworth construction truck driven by 45-year-old Jason Webb of Cheboygan, Michigan, was heading eastbound shortly before 4 p.m. For reasons that remain unclear, the truck crossed the grassy center median and entered the westbound lanes directly into oncoming traffic.
The truck slammed head-on into the Buick Envision carrying Krier, Reed, and the child. The force of the collision was catastrophic. Barbara Krier and Steven Reed suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The 7-year-old child, who was seated in the back of the vehicle, survived the crash but suffered suspected serious injuries. Emergency crews rushed the child to a hospital in Kansas City for treatment.
Jason Webb was also injured in the collision. Authorities said he was transported to a hospital in Topeka with suspected minor injuries.
The deaths of Barbara Krier and Steven Reed have sent waves of grief through their families and the communities they called home. Losing two generations of the same family in a single crash has made the tragedy even more painful for those who knew them.
Kansas Highway Patrol investigators continue working to determine exactly what caused the construction truck to leave its lane and cross into opposing traffic. Officials have not released additional findings, and the crash remains under active investigation.
