Story originally printed in the Tomah Journal or online at www.tomahjournal.com

Published - Monday, May 19, 2008

Tomah father, son killed in Kansas City crash

GRANDVIEW, Mo. — A Tomah, Wis., man and his 4-month-old son were killed when the van they were riding in crashed in a Kansas City, Mo., suburb Friday morning.

Grandview (Mo.) police report that Benjamin Yoder died this morning, while his son, Levi Yoder, died shortly after the accident that happened near the intersections of Hwys. 71 and 150 just after 10 a.m. Friday.

According to police reports, the Yoders were riding in a van carrying 13 people, all from the Tomah and Franklin, Wis., areas when it came in contact with a Chevrolet Trailblazer, causing the van to lose control, strike the center concrete barrier and overturn.

Most of the people in the van were not wearing seatbelts, and some had to be extricated from the van.

Twelve passengers from the van were taken by ambulance to five Kansas City-area hospitals, and one was flown to Truman Medical Center, where he later died.

The ages range from 4 months to 74.

As of this morning, six of the victims were treated and released and the others have been upgraded to serious but stable condition, according to the Grandview Police Department.

Police are still trying to determine what caused the crash and are searching for people who may have witnessed it.

All stories copyright 2006 Tomah Journal and other attributed sources.