Four Killed In Accident (CJ)

From the Capital-Journal

SILVER LAKE — Four people were killed and a fifth person was critically injured in a two-car crash Thursday morning on a two-lane highway just northwest of Topeka.

Of the four killed, three were students from Silver Lake schools.

Kansas Highway Patrol identified the fatality victims as Gaby Greeve, 11, a sixth-grader at Silver Lake Elementary School, Tyler Crouse, 14, a ninth-grader at Silver Lake High School, Devin Greeve, 17, a 12th-grader at Silver Lake High School, and Lance Lenard, 47, of Rossville.

All three of the student fatality victims, Gaby and Devin Greeve and Tyler Crouse, all of Topeka, were passengers in the same car, a white 1999 Subaru Impreza that Devin Greeve was driving. The fourth fatality victim, Lenard, was the driver in a gray 2007 Pontiac Vibe.

Kade Lenard, 13, of Rossville, also in the Vibe, was listed by KHP on Thursday afternoon as injured but stable at Stormont Vail Hospital.

In a statement released early Thursday afternoon, Silver Lake superintendent Tim Hallacy said students in grades six to 12 and their parents were notified of the tragic news on Thursday morning.

“We have provided extra counseling support for students and staff today and will tomorrow, as well,” Hallacy said. “Please keep all the families involved in your thoughts and prayers as we all work through this difficult and sad time together.”

The crash between the Impreza and the Vibe occurred about 7:20 a.m. in the 8400 block of N.W. US-24 highway, about 50 yards west of Humphrey Road.

According to a news release from KHP, the crash occurred when the Impreza, which was westbound on US-24, dropped off the right shoulder and overcorrected.

Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Jory Custar said the Impreza then was hit on its passenger side by the eastbound Vibe.

Sideway skid marks could be seen from the Impreza on the eastbound lane of the highway.

It took first responders approximately 30 minutes to extricate the first occupant of the Vibe before that person was transported to a local hospital. It took another 45 minutes to get the second occupant out of the car.

Devin Greeve, Lance Lenard and Kade Lenard were taken by American Medical Response ambulance to a Topeka hospital, the Kansas Highway Patrol crash log indicated. Gaby Greeve and Crouse were declared dead on the scene.

The Impreza came to a rest facing northeast in the eastbound side of the two-lane highway, while the Vibe ended up facing north in the ditch on the south side of the road.

The Kansas Highway Patrol took control of the investigation. Troopers mapped out the crash scene on the ground, with a KHP airplane assisting from overhead.

According to the KHP crash log, all of the occupants except for Crouse were wearing seat belts.

US-24 was closed for about a mile in either direction immediately after the crash, and was closed until 12:12 p.m.

Traffic was diverted onto surrounding gravel roads until the scene was cleared.

In addition to the Kansas Highway Patrol and AMR ambulance, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Silver Lake Fire Department responded to the scene.

“The patrol extends our sincere condolences to the families of those who were involved in the crash, and to the local communities, who we know will be impacted,” KHP said in a news release.

See a video interview with Custar here: http://cjon.co/2bi99AD.