Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tomah father, son killed in crash
GRANDVIEW, Mo. — A Tomah, Wis., man and his infant son were killed and several other people injured when the van they were riding in crashed in a Kansas City suburb Friday morning.
Benjamin Yoder, 45, died Monday morning, while 4-month-old son Levi died shortly after the crash, according to police in Grandview, Mo.
According to police reports, the van had 13 people, ranging in age from 4 months to 74 years, all from Tomah and the Jackson County town of Franklin.
The crash happened about 10:06 a.m. Friday when the van and an SUV collided near Hwys. 71 and 150, sending the van into a center concrete barrier, where it overturned. Several people in the van were not wearing seat belts and were thrown from the vehicle, while others had to be extricated from the wreckage, said Grandview police Sgt. John McKinstry.
Twelve van passengers were taken to five Kansas City area hospitals, while Levi Yoder was flown to Truman Medical Centers, where he later died.
McKinstry said it appeared all of the occupants in the van were Amish. Six had been treated and released as of Monday and the others had been upgraded to serious but stable condition, according to police.
The driver of the SUV was not injured. Police still are trying to determine what caused the crash.
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