The Kansas Highway Patrol says two people were seriously injured in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 435 in Overland Park early Saturday morning.
Recorded radio traffic states that Lenexa Police started receiving 911 calls about a car driving southbound in the northbound lanes of I-435 near 87th Street at 12:21 a.m.
The wrong-way car, a white Buick, continued driving in the wrong direction through the I-435 interchange with Kansas Highway 10 and then eastbound in the westbound lanes over Interstate 35.
The car then crashed head-on into a westbound driver just east of I-35 at about 12:23 a.m.
Lenexa Police arrived at the crash scene to report a significant crash with debris strewn across all westbound lanes of the interstate and one driver trapped in a vehicle.
Officers immediately requested firefighters and Johnson County Med-Act paramedics to respond, along with the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Lenexa and Olathe firefighters arrived to report a multiple-vehicle crash with heavy damage to two vehicles.
Police by that time had removed both drivers from the involved vehicles, and no one was trapped.
Highway Patrol troopers say a 2010 Buick passenger car was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes and hit a 2018 Volkswagen driving in the correct direction.
The Volkswagen was traveling in the second lane from the inside when it was hit.
The impact pushed the Volkswagen into the far left lane, and the Buick came to rest in the far right lane.
Johnson County Med-Act transported both drivers to area hospitals with serious injuries.
The driver of the wrong-way car, identified as a 40-year-old Lenexa man, was said to be in critical condition when he was transported to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.
The Volkswagen driver, a 32-year-old Lawrence woman, was transported in stable condition to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
Troopers say both drivers were wearing seat belts.
All westbound I-435 traffic was diverted to I-35 as Highway Patrol troopers investigated the crash.
All lanes reopened shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday.
Mike Frizzell is a freelance crime and fire reporter who runs Operation 100 News.
