Infant among those dead, injured after overnight rollover collision in Kansas
MULVANE, Kan. (KCTV) - An infant and a 58-year-old woman have died following a rollover collision that seriously injured four others on an interstate in South-Central Kansas.
The Kansas Highway Patrol says that just after midnight on Jan. 2, 2025, emergency crews were called to the area of southbound I-35 and E. 119th St., about 5 miles west of Mulvane, with reports of a 2-vehicle collision.
When first responders arrived, they said they found Tiburcio Gonzalez, 55, of Circle Pines, Minnesota, had been driving a 2020 Chevrolet Express with a trailer attached in the southbound lanes when the full-sized van flipped.
Investigators indicated that Michael Keefer, 63, of Rose Hill had been driving his 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee behind the van and attempted to avoid it, however, he could not and the vehicles collided.
Emergency crews said two passengers of the van were pronounced deceased at the scene - Christian Gutierrez, an infant under the age of 1, and Ernestina Eumana-Alvarez, 58, who both lived in Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez and three other of the van’s passengers - Roberto Caute, 47, of Richfield, Minnesota, Rosa Guiterrez, 27, of Minneapolis, and Roberto Guiterrez-Quintero, 63, of Minneapolis - were taken to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita with life-threatening injuries.
First responders noted that another passenger, Ines Benitez-Miranda, 67, was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Wichita also with life-threatening injuries.
The final two passengers in the van, Reyna Linares De Caute, 64, of Richfield, and Santiago Guiterrez, 1, of Minneapolis, were taken to Wesley Hosptial with suspected minor injuries.
State Troopers indicated that Keefer and his two passengers, Frederick Rodriguez, 61, of Idabel, Oklahoma, and Andie Keefer, 23, of Rose Hill, all sustained suspected minor injuries. Only Rodriguez was taken to Rock Regional Hospital.
Investigators revealed that everyone involved, except Christian Gutierrez, the youngest victim, had been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. No further information has been released.
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