A Kansas City, Missouri teenager trying to pass two vehicles on U.S. 59 north of Richmond, Kansas, slammed head-on into an oncoming car Friday, killing herself and a 73-year-old Beloit man and sending three other people to hospitals. The crash happened in Franklin County and involved four vehicles, according to investigators.
How the Crash Unfolded on U.S. 59
According to Hays Post, 18-year-old Auriana K. Davis was driving a 2021 Kia Forte northbound on U.S. 59 when she attempted to pass a 2014 Chevy Cruze and a 2013 Ford Escape. In doing so, the Kia Forte struck a southbound 2008 Cadillac DTS head-on, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Davis died at the scene, the report states. Myron B. Wolken, 73, of Beloit, who was driving the Cadillac DTS, also died at the scene. Both were transported to Frontier Forensics following the crash, per the same account.
Three Others Hospitalized After the Collision
Three more people were hurt in the crash and taken for medical treatment. Emma E. Franklin, 18, of Uniontown, who was driving the Chevy Cruze, and Jolee R. Olsen, 20, of Lawrence, who was driving the Ford Escape, were both transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center, the outlet reports.
Christian D. Wellbrock, 22, of Victoria, was riding as a passenger in the Cadillac DTS with Wolken and was taken to KU Medical Center, the Hays Post report notes. All five occupants involved in the crash were wearing seat belts, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
A Year of Historic Lows on Kansas Roads
The Franklin County crash comes amid a broader decline in Kansas traffic deaths. Kansas recorded 347 traffic fatalities in 2024, the fewest since records began in 1947, according to KWCH. That figure marks a steep drop from the 426 deaths the Kansas Department of Transportation recorded in 2020, which it identified as a recent peak.
KWCH notes that the 2024 total could still shift as additional information arrives from trauma centers across the state. The Kansas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining records on traffic crashes statewide that involve a fatality, an injury, or more than $1,000 in property damage.
