September 2, 2015
Kansas

Crash victim identified

By The News Staff | The Hutchinson News | September 2, 2015 | www.hutchnews.com

Authorities have released the name of the victim killed in a head on collision south of Nickerson Wednesday morning that occurred when the driver struck a trailer pulling a wind nacelle out of Hutchinson.

The Kansas Highway Patrol identified the victim is Donald Potter, 41, of Kingman.

Potter was southbound on K-14 in a green Ford Taurus just after 7 a.m. when the oversized load passed going north, according to Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Steven Morris.

Potter swerved into the back wheel of the trailer of the oversized load, spun out of control and then struck head-on a pickup truck escorting the nacelle.

The driver of the truck carrying the Siemens Wind Power turbine was identified as Jason Yowell, 33, of Montague, Texas. Rose Fausett, 64, of Duchesne, Utah, was driving the black Ford pickup escorting the load from behind.

The accident on K-14/K-96, at mile marker 105, closed the highway for more than five hours, with Kansas Department of Transportation setting up barricades at Fourth Avenue and Wilson Road. Officials reopened the road about 12:20 p.m.

Morris said the trailer was “real wide” and took up most of two-lane highway.

Witnesses said he (Potter) was just about to pass by it and swerved into it and hit the pickup,” Morris said. “We don’t know why, but it looked like he swerved into it for some unknown reason.”

A helicopter was called to the scene, but left without a patient. Yowell and Fausett were taken by ambulance to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. A representative at the hospital said their condition is not currently available.

Extrication was required, the patrol reported.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/09/02/crash-victim-identified/