A Durango man was involved in a fatal car crash Tuesday in Kansas that resulted in the death of a 32-year woman.
According to Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod Hileman, a 2014 Jeep Wrangler was headed east on U.S. Highway 40 in western Kansas when an RV trailer being pulled by an oncoming 2018 Chevrolet Silverado was blown into the opposite lane and struck the Jeep.
The crash occurred about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Hileman said a storm in the region brought wind gusts up to 70 mph, with heavy rains that made visibility poor. The stretch of road, too, is a narrow two-lane road with no shoulders, he said.
Investigators believe a strong gust of wind blew the trailer into the eastbound lane, striking the Jeep.
The Jeep came to a rest in a pasture on the north side of the road. The driver, identified as Jenny McClelland, 32, of Colby was pronounced dead at the scene. She was not wearing a seat belt at the time.
The Chevrolet came to a rest in a ditch. The driver was identified as Cory Chick, 47, of Durango, who was traveling with his wife and two children, none of whom were reported to have been injured. All were wearing seat belts, the Highway Patrol said.
Alcohol, drugs and excessive speed are not suspected factors in the crash. Hileman said he does not expect any charges or citations to be filed.
“It was just a bad deal,” he said. “They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
A call to Chick was not immediately returned Thursday.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
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