Two College Students Die in Collision between Tractor-trailer and Car
According to The Hutchinson News, two students at Sterling College died in a crash involving a semi-truck in Sterling, Kansas, on Monday morning.
Second Fatal Crash at Same Intersection in Three Weeks
Two college students traveled northbound on Sego Road, stopping at the stop sign at U.S. Highway 50 at around 7:23 a.m. Police say the car then pulled out in front of an oncoming westbound tractor-trailer, which crashed into the vehicle, pushing it off the road and into a ditch.
The driver, 21-year-old Esther Jenkerson, and her passenger, 25-year-old Xavier Bradford, died in the wreck. According to The Hutchinson News, both students were juniors at Sterling College.
Edwin G. Lehmann, 59, the driver of the 18-wheeler, did not sustain injuries in the crash. The trailer he towed carried ammonia, but no leak occurred, reports The Hutchinson News.
On October 14, a separate fatal accident occurred at the intersection, where a 19-year-old woman died in a crash involving a semi-truck. The Hutchinson News reports that the Kansas Department of Transportation is in preliminary discussions to add flashing lights or rumble strips near the intersection.
Trucking Accident Statistics
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,903 people died in crashes involving large trucks in 2014. Here is some additional information on 18-wheeler accidents:
- An estimated 111,000 people sustained injuries in crashes involving large trucks in 2014.
- 74 percent of those injured were occupants of other vehicles.
- From 2013 to 2014, the number of injured occupants of other vehicles involved in crashes with large trucks increased 19 percent.
- Seventy-nine percent of fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred on weekdays.
