MCCUNE — 2 people were injured in separate accidents on U.S. 400 that occurred Wednesday about a mile apart.
The first accident occurred at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 400 6.7 miles west of K-7 in Cherokee County.
In this accident, a 2021 Ford T-250 cargo van driven by Mark A. Dwyer, 64, Derby, was westbound on U.S. 400 and struck the rear of a parked 2025 International semi-tractor trailer operated by Kevin W. Whittington, 60, Neosho, Missouri. The semi was parked on the westbound shoulder and had its four-way hazard lights on because of a flat tire, a Kansas Highway Patrol report said.
Dwyer received serious injuries and was taken to Mercy Hospital in Joplin. Whittington was not injured.
The second accident happened at 3:34 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 400 in Cherokee County about a mile west of the first accident. The second accident location was 2.4 miles east of K-126 highway. This was while the highway was still blocked from the first accident.
According to the KHP, a 2015 Toyota 4Runner driven by Erika C. Campbell, 41, of Lexington, Kentucky, was stopped in traffic eastbound on U.S. 400 when a 2021 Nissan Titan driven by Shay Montes, 36, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, failed to stop for traffic and struck Campbell’s SUV. The SUV struck a guardrail and rolled a short distance eastbound, stopping in the westbound lane. Campbell was taken to Labette Health for treatment of her injuries. Montes had no apparent injury.
