By Eduardo Castillo
The Wichita Eagle
NEWTON, Kan. — Two people were taken to hospitals after a crash on a Kansas highway that sparked a building fire south of Newton on Wednesday.
The accident occurred at about 1 p.m. along U.S. Highway 50 when a minivan heading west blew out a tire. The driver lost control of the van, crossed the median and hit an eastbound semi truck, Newton Communications Director Erin McDaniel said in a news release.
The semi left the road and struck an RV storage facility, starting the fire. The fire spread to the grass on the north side of U.S. 50, according to the release.
The driver of the van was taken to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita with minor injuries. The semi driver was able to get himself out of the wreckage and was taken to NMC Health with minor injuries, McDaniel said.
Fire departments from Newton, Halstead, Sedgwick and Hesston assisted and continue to put out hot spots.
Multiple recreational vehicles burned in the fire and the storage facility was seriously damaged. Roughly 25 acres on the north side of U.S. 50 burned, but fire crews were able to keep the flames from entering a residential area, the release said.
U.S. 50 and any other roads that were closed have since opened back up to traffic, McDaniel said.
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