A 77-year-old Princeton woman died Saturday after her car collided with a van at a rural Franklin County intersection, leaving two other people injured, including a teenager. The crash happened just after 11 a.m. about seven miles south of Ottawa, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 59 and John Brown Road.
According to KSN, the crash occurred around 11:10 a.m. at that intersection. A 2007 Toyota Corolla was traveling east on John Brown Road when it entered the intersection and was struck on the driver's side by a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan heading south on U.S. 59, the station reports.
The Kansas Highway Patrol identified the Toyota's driver as Cynthia Ann Cook, 77, of Princeton, according to Hays Post. The outlet reports that Cook was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics.
Conflicting Accounts of Cook's Death
Reports on the circumstances of Cook's death differ. KSN reported that she was taken to a hospital where she later died from her injuries, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Hays Post's account states she was pronounced dead at the scene before being transported to Frontier Forensics. As first reported by JC Post, Cook resided in Princeton, Kansas.
The driver of the van, identified as Bret Alan Ulrich, 60, of Topeka, was also hurt in the collision. Per the same account from Hays Post, EMS transported Ulrich and a 16-year-old passenger riding in the van to Advent Health in Ottawa for treatment.
All Occupants Were Buckled In, Patrol Says
Investigators noted that seatbelt use was not a factor in the severity of the crash. The report notes that Cook, Ulrich, and the teenage passenger were all properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
No further details about the crash's cause or any potential citations have been reported. The incident remains under review by the Kansas Highway Patrol.
