Responders Rerouted Traffic At Fatality Accident On Highway 160 For Two Hours

Traffic had to be rerouted on U.S. Highway 160 for approximately two hours after a two-vehicle, fatality collision October 2.

"We rerouted traffic from Grant County Road C to Grant County Road D," said Grant County Sheriff James Biddle. "We received the initial call at 6:41 p.m., of a driver who was (allegedly) driving erradically. When we arrived at the scene at 6:47 p.m., the accident had already occurred. We were on scene for three hours. "

The accident, which is being investigated by the Grant County Sheriff's Office, was six and one half miles west of Ulysses on Highway 160.

Kamryn McFarland, 19, who was originally reported as a Johnson, Kans., resident, was from nearby Big Bow, Kans. McFarland was pronounced dead at 8:38 p.m., at Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital in Ulysses of the injuries she sustained in the accident.

The driver of the other vehicle involved, Dayna Folger, Johnson, and her three juvenile passengers, were treated for injuries and have since been released. Folger's vehicle, a van, rolled one time coming to rest on its wheels in a ditch.

Witnesses said McFarland was driving eastbound in a white sedan erradically on the highway just before the accident occurred. McFarland ultimately collided with Foger's white van, which was traveling westbound, before coming to rest in the roadway, facing East.

Four ambulances were dispatched to the scene and transported those injured as they were extricated from their vehicles. Grant County Fire Chief John Crosby said the jaws of life had to be utilized on both vehicles in order to free occupants.

Biddle said when his officers arrived, Folger and one of her passengers had been able to get out of the van. There were two juveniles who had to be extricated.

One of the witnesses to the accident was a Grant County EMT, who immediately provided assistance to those involved.

Firefighters and EMTs were on the scene for approximately 45 minutes as they worked to free the occupants, assess them and get them loaded in to ambulances for transport. Each was transported as soon as they were freed from their vehicles.

According to Biddle, the highway was blocked for two hours and traffic on Highway 160 was rerouted during that time.

Those at the scene reported they believed some of those involved were wearing their seatbelts and some were not. However, Biddle said all those involved had been wearing their seatbelts.

Biddle said the accident is currently still under investigation.