A tragic three-vehicle collision on U.S. Highway 400 on Monday, June 22 claimed the lives of two men from Kansas and Arkansas, leaving another passenger seriously injured.
According to the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred at approximately 12:20 p.m. last Monday, near milepost 337 on US 400, approximately one-mile east of the US 400/ Highway 99 North junction. Greenwood County Dispatch received reports of an injury accident, prompting responses from Greenwood County Sheriff’s deputies, Greenwood County EMS and Eureka Fire Department.
The sheriff’s office said a 2011 Dodge Avenger driven by Christopher “Chris” Williams, 49, of Salina, attempted to pass a black pickup truck while traveling eastbound. During the maneuver, the Dodge sideswiped a 2006 Hyundai SUV driven by Gerardo Rivera, 26, of Fredonia.
The initial collision caused the Dodge’s driver’s-side rear wheel to detach. The passenger car then spun counterclockwise into the westbound lane, where it was struck by an oncoming 2025 Chevrolet Trax driven by Steven Foster Daniels II, 34, of Jacksonville, Ark.
Williams and Daniels were both pronounced deceased at the scene.
A passenger in the Chevrolet Trax, Christopher Wilson, 58, also of Jacksonville, Ark., sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. His condition has not been released.
Rivera, along with passengers in his vehicle, wasn’t injured.
Obituaries for both Williams and Daniels can be found on page 4.
