ACCIDENTS

REPORTED

These accident reports were released this past week by law enforcement agencies:

SHERIFF

Indigo Rd. south of 160th Rd.

Inattentive driving, glare from a setting sun, and shadows from roadside trees were blamed for an injury accident at 5 p.m. Jan. 28 when a southbound 1998 Ford Expedition sport-utility vehicle rear-ended a southbound 2000 Ford Ranger pickup.

Pickup driver Ivan J. Schmidt, 73, was taken by ambulance to Hillsboro Community Hospital. He told deputy Kaylan Miles he had seen SUV driver Joseph E. Willems, 78, approaching in a mirror, but Willems said he hadn’t seen Schmidt’s pickup until it emerged from shadows.

Schmidt told Miles he had been driving around 55 mph, but Willems, who claimed to have been driving no faster than 60 mph, said Schmidt’s vehicle had appeared to be barely moving.

Miles listed inattentive driving by Willems as a factor, but no citations were issued. Both men have rural Hillsboro addresses near where the accident occurred. Schmidt’s pickup sustained disabling damage and was towed.

Church St. west of Main St. in Burns

Timothy L. Hiebert, 63, backed 2007 Freightliner semi-trailer truck into an Evergy utility pole near his house at 1 p.m. Feb. 3, causing power lines to fall and blacking out portions of Burns for almost five hours.

The semi, owned by J.L. Unruh trucking of rural Newton, was not damaged, according to deputy Travis Wilson’s report. Wilson blamed the accident on inattentive driving, but no citations were issued.

US-50 east of Union Rd.

Tasha R. Yeager, 28, Derby, hit a deer at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6 with her 2015 Nissan Altima, which was damaged but not disabled.

Sunflower Rd. south of 170th Rd.

Rebecca L. Williams, 66, Marion, hit a deer at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7 with her 2007 Lincoln Town Car, which was damaged but remained functional.

MARION

Main St. east of 4th St.

Backing out at 2:50 p.m. Thursday from a diagonal parking space, William N. Donges, 73, Marion, drove his 2018 Toyota Tundra into an oncoming 2010 Ford Focus owned and driven by Nancy J. Edmunds, 50, Marion, causing minor damage to each vehicle.

Officer Steven Janzen’s report blamed the accident on inattentive driving by Donges, but no citations were issued