SHAWNEE COUNTY —A Manhattan woman died in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Wednesday in Shawnee County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Kenworth semi driven by Jesse C. Vannoy, 38, Knob Noster, Missouri, was eastbound on Interstate 70 in the inside lane just east of SW Topeka Boulevard. The semi lost its load of large, metal pipes. The pipes traveled over the concrete barrier wall and into the westbound lanes of traffic.
One metal pipe struck the driver's side rear quarter panel and window of a 2014 Ford Expedition driven by Amy M. Mitchell, 47, Sabetha, then landed on top of a 2020 Kia Forte driven by Brooke N. Rees, 29, Manhattan.
A 2011 Ford F250 driven by Robert W. Torrey, 60, Axtel, was unable to stop and rear-ended the Kia. The impacted forced the Kia to rotate counterclockwise and strike the outside concrete bridge rail.
A 1996 Chevy 1500 driven by Jeffery Munz, 66, Great Bend, struck another metal pipe. This forced the pickup to travel to the inside lane and then back across the outside lane and become disabled.
A 2008 Toyota Camry driven by Bruce L. Bowers, 54, Harveyville, struck a metal pipe and became disabled in the inside lane.
A metal pipe also struck the front end of a 2019 Freightline semi driven by Timothy S. Hess, 53, Atkins, Virginia, as it traveled across the westbound lanes.
Another metal pipe that was struck traveled into a KDOT guardrail, destroying a section of it. Due to the severity of the collision with the pipe, Rees was pronounced deceased at the scene and was transported to First Call.
Vannoy, Mitchell, 3 passengers in the Expedition, Torrey and 3 passengers in the Ford, Munz, Bowers and Hess, were not injured. All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.