Three people were injured in a two-vehicle crash just after midnight Saturday, October 18.
Grant County Sheriff's Deputy Dale Godfrey said the call came in to the law enforcement center from cell phone.
"We got the call because of the I-Phone of one of those involved," Godfrey said. "When in a severe crash, the I-Phone will detect that and call (emergency services). It told us there was a crash and the address of the crash."
According to Grant County Sheriff James Biddle, the two vehicles involved were both eastbound when the collision occurred.
"One of the vehicles had a turn signal on and the second vehicle never slowed down and collided with the rear of the first one," Biddle said. "Both of the vehicles went through a fence on the north side of the road and ended up in a field."
Godfrey said the first vehicle was preparing to turn at about the 1300 block of east Oklahoma Avenue.
"The second vehicle came up behind them way too fast, and crashed in to the rear of the first vehicle, causing both of them to go in to the north ditch," Godfrey said. "The car that was hit overturned four to five times."
Biddle and Godfrey said all three occupants of the first vehicle were transported for medical treatment.
"When I arrived, their vehicle was upside down and they were laying on the roof of the car," Biddle said. "Two of them were taken to the hospital in Satanta, because a doctor wasn't available here. The other patient (the male driver) was taken to the hospital in Johnson. One of the occupants was a child and when I arrived someone was taking her out of her car seat. I was told later she was flown to Denver, Colo."
According to both Biddle and Godfrey, one of the patients is the mother of the 3-year-old child. The mother was the passenger in the front seat of the vehicle.
"The wife was treated and released," Godfrey said. "She is six months pregnant. She and her unborn child are both fine. They checked out the mother so she could go with her other child. The father was transported code red (immediate, life threatening) to Stanton County hospital and later transferred to Liberal for surgery. The 3-year-old child was air lifted to Denver with a severe concussion and a minor skull fracture."
The driver of the second vehicle, identified as a Ford F250, was treated at the scene.
"He was fine," Godfrey said.
That driver, who is 19, was given a field alcohol test.
"The preliminary breath test showed the driver was probably over the legal limit (.02)," Godfrey said. "He was placed in to custody and taken to the sheriff's office."
Once at the sheriff's office, the driver refused an intoxilizer test. The 19-year-old, whose name has not yet been released, was released but is still facing consequences.
"In Kansas, when you refuse the test, you can still lose your license for a year," Godfrey said. "I used the long form."
According to Godfrey, the 19-year-old is still looking at charges of DUI (driving under the influence) involving a severe accident and MIC (minor in consumption)
"The long- form means you're not being placed in jail right away, but are still being charged," Godfrey said.
Godfrey said he does not have an estimate on the damages caused by the collision but gave a rough estimate of $2,000 to $2,500 for the fencing along. Godfrey believes the car driven by the injured driver as well as the pickup were both totaled.
"There was very little left of the car," Godfrey said.
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