Eight people died and one was injured in a head-on collision on US-169 highway in Franklin County, Kansas, Saturday evening, according to an accident report.
The crash occurred around 5:43 p.m. when a southbound 2016 GMC Yukon XL attempted to pass another vehicle and collided with a northbound 2016 Subaru Legacy. Both drivers reportedly steered onto the northbound shoulder in an effort to avoid impact, but the vehicles struck each other there.
Alexander R. Ernst, 37, of Ames, Iowa, was believed to be the driver of the northbound Subaru and did not survive the crash. Passengers in his vehicle also killed were Madalyn N. Elliott, 33, John D. Elliott, 76, and Norleen L. Elliott, 69, all from Chesterfield, Missouri.
The driver of the southbound Yukon, Jaimon D. Gilstrap, 33, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, died in the collision. Other deceased passengers in the Yukon included Kyron Gilstrap, 14, and Donald Laster, 14, both of Tulsa, and Wayne T. Walls, 41, of Talala, Oklahoma.
Braden A. Walls, 15, of Talala, Oklahoma, was a passenger in the southbound vehicle and survived with suspected minor injuries, a crash log states.
Several of the victims from Oklahoma had ties to local schools. Jaimon Gilstrap worked for Tulsa Public Schools transportation department. Donald Laster was a student at Booker T. Washington High School, and Wayne Walls was a former coach and teacher at Carver Middle School. Kyron Gilstrap was a ninth-grade student with Union Public Schools. Some were also members of an AAU basketball team traveling for a tournament.
Bystanders stopped immediately after the crash to attempt rescues, as shown in a local news report. Despite efforts, flames engulfed the vehicles.
All nine individuals involved in the crash were wearing seat belts, according to the accident report. The section of highway remained closed for several hours afterward.
