Uniontown accident kills two

Emergency personnel from across Bourbon County investigate a crash involving a semi (right) and General Public Transportation van (far left) Thursday at Kansas Highway 3 and Maple Road in Uniontown. The bus was burned. The accident occurred about 3:35 p.m.(Ruth Campbell/Tribune)

Note: This story has been edited to include the names of those involved in the crash and other information.

An accident at Kansas Highway 3 and Maple Road in Uniontown has killed two area residents and left another injured, Kansas Highway Patrol Master Trooper Jeff Scott said.

The accident occurred at 3:35 p.m. A semi flatbed truck was northbound on K3 and a General Public Transportation van was southbound on K3. Scott said went to make a left turn into Uniontown and turned in front of the semi.

Kansas Highway Patrol troopers review the damage to a General Public Transportation van at the crash site at Kansas Highway 3 and Maple Road in Uniontown on Thursday. In the background are emergency personnel processing the scene. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.(Ruth Campbell/Tribune)

After the vehicles collided, the semi drove into the east ditch on K3 and the van was knocked into the west ditch and caught fire, he said.

There were two fatalities and one person injured from the van. The injured victim was med-flighted to a hospital, Scott said.

Agencies on the scene included the Kansas Highway Patrol, Bourbon County Sheriff's Office, Bourbon County District 3 fire departments, the Fort Scott Fire Department and Mercy EMS.

A KHP report said Sara McClure, 24, of Fort Scott, and Melony Beerbower, 28, of Uniontown, died in the crash. Both were reported to be wearing safety restraints. Joshua Holder, 30, of Fort Scott, was transported by Medflight to Freeman Health Systems and is listed as "disabled" on the report. It is unknown whether he was wearing a safety restraint.

The driver of the semi, David Buergin, 48, of McCune, was taken to Mercy Health Center and is listed as "disabled" on the report. He was wearing a safety restraint at the time of the accident, the report said.