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

Published - Monday, May 26, 2008

Tomah man, son killed in Kansas City traffic crash

GRANDVIEW, Mo. — A Tomah, man and his four-month-old son were killed when they 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 Hwy. 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 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 four months to 74 years of age.

Grandview police Sgt. John 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.

Jonas Borntreger, an Amish leader in Franklin, said the group was in Missouri to attend two family weddings, he said.

Borntreger said a Franklin man had his jaw broken and has other facial injuries and his wife suffered leg injuries. Their one-year-old child was ejected from the van but was apparently uninjured.

He said a funeral for the Yoders in Tomah may be Friday.

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

All stories copyright 2006 Tomah Journal and other attributed sources.