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Woman dies in crash on K-254
By David Dinell
Last Updated: February 04, 2016

An accident at the intersection of K-254 and Webb Road resulted in the death of a Kechi woman.

Brenda T. Petrey, 63, of Kechi, who was driving a 1997 GMC pickup, was killed  at 8:12 a.m. Jan 27 as she attempted to drive north across the highway and was hit by an eastbound vehicle.

The driver of the other vehicle, Joshua J. Mathews, 35, of Whitewater, was not injured. Mathews was driving a 2014 Ram pickup. Both drivers were wearing seat belts.

The scene was just outside the Bel Aire city limits and as such the accident was handled by the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office. Bel Aire police, including Chief Darrell Atteberry, did response and provided traffic control.

"It was a horrific crash," Atteberry said.

Due to the impact directly on the driver's side door, Petrey "didn't stand a chance," he said, even with a seat belt on and air bags in place.

Petrey's vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic, according to an online KHP report.

As officers were working the crash, another accident occurred nearby, also on K-254. A van slowing down for the first accident was hit from behind and then that car was hit by another vehicle. Two of the three drivers in that accident were uninjured, but the other, the van driver, was taken by ambulance with upper body injuries.

All three had their seat belts on. KHP officers said speed was a factor in the accident and requested that motorists slow down and use extra caution when approaching an accident.

Last summer, two women from southeast Kansas were killed in a crash similar to Petrey's accident. That crash was at K-254 and Greenwich. Authorities say the driver misjudged the speed of an oncoming truck and pulled into the highway.

It can be difficult to judge traffic speed on K-254, police say, as vehicles travel up to 70 mph, so they urge allowing adequate time when entering the highway or crossing the open intersections.





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