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

Published - Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Jackson County couple hurt in crash that killed Tomah father and son

A couple and their young son from the town of Franklin in Jackson County were injured in an accident Friday morning near Kansas City that killed a Tomah man and his son.

Jonas Borntreger, an Amish leader in Franklin, said Tuesday the couple is still recovering in Missouri, where they were with other Amish members to attend two family weddings, he said.

Benjamin Yoder, 45, died May 19, and 4-mouth-old son, Levi, died shortly after the crash, according to police in Grandview, Mo. The van had 13 people, all from Tomah and the town of Franklin.

The crash happened about 10:06 a.m. on May 16 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. Others had to be extricated.

Twelve van passengers were taken to five Kansas City area hospitals, while Levi Yoder was flown to Truman Medical Centers, where he later died.

Six had been treated and released as of May 19 and the others had been upgraded to serious but stable condition.

Borntreger said the Franklin man had his jaw broken and has other facial injuries and his wife suffered leg injuries. Their 1-year-old baby was ejected from the van, but was uninjured.

The police are still trying to figure out what caused the fatal crash.

All stories copyright 2006 Tomah Journal and other attributed sources.