July 27th, 2010 | 
Author: WRIGHT, KS – Two men were killed Friday morning, July 9, in a fiery truck accident on a highway in Ford County, Kansas. The deadly collision occurred when a semi trailer truck slammed head-on into a pick-up truck on U.S. Highway 50/56 near the town of Wright, KS. The truck accident area is east of Dodge City, KS in the southwest section of the state, about 153 miles west of Wichita, KS and about 283 miles east of Pueblo, Colorado.
Both drivers suffered fatal injuries in the truck accident and pronounced dead at the hospital.
At around 5:48 a.m. Friday morning, 49 year old Raul De La Torre of Dodge City, KS was driving a 2010 Freightliner semi trailer truck east on U.S. Highway 50/56 in Ford County. The truck driver was about a half mile east of Wright when he encountered a westbound 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck driven by 22 year old Steven A. Hornung of Offerle, KS.
For unknown reasons, the driver of the pickup truck drifted over the center line of the highway directly into the path of the semi trailer truck. The driver of the 18 wheeler truck saw the smaller vehicle heading toward him and pulled his rig to he left in order to avoid a collision. However the driver of the pickup, Mr. Hornung, then pulled back into his own lane and was again in the path of the semi trailer truck.
At this point there was no time or space to maneuver out of the way and the truck driver slammed his Freightliner head-on it the Chevy Silverado in the westbound lane of U.S. 50/56. The impact of the truck accident apparently damaged at least one of the fuel tanks and the two vehicles burst into flames.
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Kansas Highway Patrol and local rescue personnel rushed to the scene of the fiery truck accident. Firefighters found both vehicles engulfed in flames and worked to put out the fires so EMTs could reach the two victims. Once the men were removed from the wreckage of their burnt vehicles they were both transported to Western Plains Medical Center in Dodge City.
Both drivers suffered fatal injuries in the truck accident and they were pronounced dead at the hospital.
KHP blocked off the area around the truck accident so crews could clear off the highway and officers could reconstruct the collision. According to information released to the public, authorities are not sure if either man was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. They are still trying to determine why Mr. Hornung crossed over the highway dividing line. It is not yet known if drugs or alcohol were factors.
The truck accident remains under investigation.
For more information about Kansas trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact a nationwide truck accident attorney at Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP for expert advice. For a free initial consultation, talk to a KS truck accident lawyer at 800.773.6770.
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