GREAT BEND, Kan.- Five people were injured in an accident just after 10 a.m. on Thursday in Barton County.
The Barton County Sheriff’s office reported a 2005 Ford Explorer driven by Lafe Kern, 26, St. John, was southbound on U.S. 281 just south of 20 Road.
The driver crossed left of center and struck a northbound 2007 Chevy Tahoe driven by Heather Cash, 29, Pratt.
Kern, Cash, and a passenger in the Chevy Candace Lampe, 52, Pratt, had to be extracted from their vehicles according to the Sheriff’s Department.
They were transported to Great Bend Regional Hospital and flown to Wichita area hospitals for treatment.
Cash’s two children ages 3 years and 8 ½ months were properly restrained in child safety devices and had only minor injuries.
The accident closed U.S. 281 for approximately an hour and a half.
The Kansas Highway Patrol, Great Bend Fire Department and the Kansas Department of Transportation all assisted at the scene.
The accident is still under investigation.