On Wednesday night, a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 35 in Johnson County snarled traffic with vehicles backing up for roughly two miles.
The Kansas Highway Patrol said the crash happened on southbound I-35 just south of 75th Street in Overland Park just before 7 p.m.
According to the patrol’s online crash log, the driver of a 2021 Kia Sportage rear-ended a 2020 Kia Forte. The impact forced the Forte into the right lane, hitting the driver’s door of a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado.
The crew of an ambulance from Newton, Kansas, witnessed the crash and stopped to check for injuries while calling for a local ambulance to respond.
While police and firefighters responded, another vehicle was involved in a non-injury crash with the median barrier wall as traffic slowed. The driver of that vehicle ran off and was later located near a business a short distance away.
Overland Park firefighters and Johnson County Med-Act paramedics arrived to the scene of the original crash and reported one vehicle with heavy damage to the rear end and two people injured.
Highway Patrol troopers had the interstate down to one southbound lane as firefighters and paramedics checked for injuries in all the involved vehicles.
The closure of multiple lanes caused southbound I-35 to slow, ultimately backing up to Shawnee Mission Parkway in Merriam.
Two adults were transported by ambulance from the scene on the highway.
A third adult involved in the original three-vehicle crash was also transported after he attempted to leave the scene on foot.
All three people were said to be in stable condition.
Tow trucks removed the crashed vehicles, and all lanes reopened at about 8:30 p.m.
No other details were immediately available.
