Arrest made in connection with May fatality

An arrest was made Thursday in a case involving a one-vehicle fatality accident this spring that resulted in the death of local woman.

Authorities said Friday Melba Lynn Marsh, 51, of Fort Scott, was arrested at 12:45 p.m. Thursday by the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office. Bourbon County Sheriff Bill Martin confirmed the arrest was related to a motor vehicle accident near Devon earlier this year.

In a May 27 incident, Marsh allegedly was driving a 1992 Jeep Wrangler Islander 4-by-4 north on 155th Street near Devon when 44-year-old Amanda Thron, a passenger in the vehicle, reportedly fell out and was struck by the Jeep.

Thron, who was riding in the front passenger seat at the time, died in the accident.

The accident took place in the 1700 block of 155th Street about one mile north of Prairie Road outside of Devon.

Marsh was arrested on a Bourbon County arrest warrant charging her with involuntary manslaughter. Bourbon County Undersheriff Ben Cole said Marsh was taken into custody at a residence located at 101 S. Little St.

Marsh is currently being held on no bond.

In a Tribune report two days after the accident, Kansas Highway Patrol Technical Trooper Rick Wingate said another trooper was conducting an investigation of the crash and authorities were trying to sort out leads and other information that had been provided to the patrol.

When contacted Friday, Wingate said he had no knowledge that an arrest had been made in the case and because an arrest had been made, he could not provide comment on specifics of the incident, adding he did not wish to jeopardize the case.

Wingate referred inquiries to the Bourbon County Attorney's Office. A phone message left for Bourbon County Attorney Terri Johnson was not returned as of press time Friday.

Few details have been provided since the accident occurred. Wingate said in a previous Tribune story that the Jeep "did not leave the road." He also said officials were unsure exactly how Thron left the vehicle and that she was struck by the Jeep.

Wingate added that the Jeep had a soft top. He also said that a report the Tribune heard at the time that the seat Thron was in fell out of the vehicle was false.

Wingate said in May he hoped more details could be provided for the investigation after an autopsy was complete. He also said he was not sure if the Jeep had been traveling at a high rate of speed and could not confirm whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

He said testing for drugs and alcohol is standard procedure when investigating a vehicle crash.

KHP reported in May that none of the other occupants were wearing seat belts at the time. Also riding in the vehicle were Dudley Colegrove and Jimmie Duren, both of Fort Scott.

Neither Colegrove or Duren were reported as hurt in the accident.

Thron was transported by Bourbon County EMS to Mercy Hospital Fort Scott. It was not confirmed whether Thron died at the scene.

The trooper investigating the incident said Thron and the other occupants had been traveling from the Devon Days celebration on Memorial Day, Wingate has said.