Spring Valley, KS (October 20, 2024) – On Saturday, October 19, a passenger was killed after a two-vehicle collision in the Spring Valley area. The deadly accident took place at the crossing of SE 20th Street and SE Greenlawn Road that afternoon around 3:55 p.m. Local reports revealed that 35-year-old Maryann E. Atkinson of Columbus was traveling west on Greenlawn in a 2018 Ford Explorer as 37-year-old Charla B. King, also from Columbus, was driving a 1996 Ford van north on 20th Street.
For unknown reasons, Atkinson failed to yield at a stop sign, according to reports from the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP). King hit the Explorer. Emergency crews were rushed to the scene to provide aid to the involved parties. A passenger in the Explorer, 36-year-old Matthew C. Atkinson of Columbus, suffered fatal injuries in the impact and was pronounced dead at the scene. Maryann was transported to Freeman West Hospital for treatment of sustained injuries. King and four other passengers in her vehicle were also injured and treated at the scene. No further information on the collision is currently available. An ongoing investigation into the cause of the accident is in progress.
We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased victim at this time. Our thoughts are also with the injured victims and their families in hopes of a full recovery.
Deadly Stop Sign Crashes in Kansas
A lot of major car accidents happen at intersections. In the United States, statistics show that almost 20 percent of deadly crashes and 50 percent of major injury accidents take place at crossroads. Stop signs and traffic lights are intended to make the roads safer for everyone, but they don’t work if drivers don’t follow them. A lot of careless drivers ignore stop signs and cause accidents that change people’s lives. Most accidents at intersections happen because drivers fail to yield when necessary, and statistics show that about a quarter of the nearly 700,000 stop-sign crashes that happen every year in the United States end with someone getting hurt.
After losing a loved one in a sudden and tragic car crash, do not hesitate to contact a Spring Valley wrongful death lawyer at Bretz Injury Law today at 620-524-0080. Our compassionate and reputable legal team has vast experience helping bereaved families pursue justice and fair compensation after the loss of a loved one.
