Teen killed in U.S. Highway 69 accident

Bourbon County Undersheriff Ben Cole talks with a motorist at the intersection of Kansas Highway 7 and Fern Road following a three-vehicle fatality accident Wednesday morning on U.S. Highway 69 south of Fort Scott. Emergency personnel re-routed traffic to K-7 following the wreck, which closed off a portion of U.S. 69 for several hours.

Jason E. Silvers

One person was killed and another reported as injured in a three-vehicle accident Wednesday morning on U.S. Highway 69 about five miles south of Fort Scott.

According to a Kansas Highway Patrol crash log, a 1988 Ford Ranger driven by Hunter Dean Kovacic, 15 of Stark, was headed north on U.S. 69 when the vehicle crossed the center line into the southbound lane of travel, sideswiped a 2008 Ford F350 driven by Anthony Dean Alexander, 57 of Parkville, and struck a 2007 Kenworth semi driven by Bill Swimmer Rabbit, 40 of Pryor, Okla., head on. The semi was pulling a 1977 Frueha trailer.

The accident took place about 9:40 a.m.

Kovacic, the only occupant of the Ranger, died in the wreck and was taken to Frontier Forensics. It was unknown if Kovacic was wearing a safety restraint, the KHP report states.

Rabbit, who was wearing a safety restraint at the time, was listed as injured and taken to Mercy Hospital Fort Scott. Alexander, who was also wearing a seat belt, was not injured, according to the KHP log.

A portion of U.S. 69 was blocked to traffic for several hours while officials worked the scene. Traffic was re-routed so that motorists traveling south on U.S. 69 from Fort Scott had to take the K-7 exit to Girard, then back to U.S. 69 south of Arma and Franklin. Motorists heading north on U.S. 69 had to take the Girard turnoff, proceed to Girard and then take K-7 north to Fort Scott.

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