The Kansas Highway Patrol says a 17-year-old was killed in a crash on Interstate 35 in Merriam early Saturday morning.
Troopers say the crash happened at approximately 1:54 a.m. in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 just north of Johnson Drive.
According to the highway patrol’s online crash log, a 2007 Chevrolet Equinox SUV was stopped in the left lane following a crash.
A 2008 Honda CR-V then stopped on the right shoulder, and a 17-year-old passenger ran across the southbound lanes to help the driver of the already crashed SUV.
Troopers say that’s when a 2010 Jeep Liberty crashed into the stalled vehicle.
“From the impact of the collision of the two vehicles, vehicle one [the Jeep Liberty] struck the pedestrian who was attempting to render aid,” Troopers say in the patrol’s online crash log.
Troopers have identified the pedestrian as Benjamin Van Buskirk, 17, of Olathe, and say he died at the scene.
At 1:56 a.m., Merriam Police, Overland Park firefighters and Johnson County Med-Act paramedics were called to the scene.
A Med-Act ambulance transported the driver of the Chevrolet SUV to a hospital with what Troopers describe as a “suspected serious injury.”
The crash log identifies the woman as a 25-year-old from Kansas City, Kansas, and says she was wearing a seat belt.
The crash log identifies the driver and passenger of the Jeep Liberty as two women, ages 21 and 19, from Guatemala. Both remained at the crash scene and were not injured.
The driver of the Honda CR-V, a 17-year-old boy from Spring Hill, Kansas, was not injured.
Police officers from Mission, Roeland Park, Shawnee, and Overland Park assisted with closing the southbound lanes of the Interstate at Antioch Road.
Around 3 a.m., the Kansas Department of Transportation took over traffic control.
All southbound lanes of the interstate reopened at about 6:40 a.m.
