Wreck on Interstate 70 near Grainfield injures 17; immigration officials contacted

Jun. 14, 2007

By STACIE SANDALL

Hays Daily News

GRAINFIELD — A blown tire just before noon Thursday caused 17 injuries on Interstate 70 a mile west of Grainfield.

A van driven by Jose Rafael Alvarez, 22, Mexico City, was eastbound at about 11:45 a.m. when the right rear tire blew out, reported the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Alvarez lost control of the van, and it went into the median where it rolled 4?ªø1?Ñ2 times, coming to rest on the driver’s side door. He and 15 passengers, none of whom were wearing seat belts, were injured in the accident.

According to Gove County Sheriff Allan Weber, four or five highway patrol units and rescue units from Oakley responded, as well as himself.

“There was a flight paramedic already on the scene and an RN before I ever got to the scene, so we already had good reports of how many were injured,â€