The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) is investigating a serious crash involving two cattle haulers that occurred near a rest area in Garden City on Wednesday.
The crash occurred around 8:25 a.m. on January 18 in Finney County, Kansas.
KHP says that 27 year old Maritza Ruiz was driving a 2008 Kenworth hauling a loaded cattle trailer westbound on K-156 at milemarker 24.1.
A 2004 Kenworth driven by Aaron Ortega-Arzate, 23, was also hauling a loaded cattle trailer as he made a left turn out of the rest area to travel east on K-156 at the same location.
KHP said that Ortega-Arzate failed to yield at a stop sign and turned in front of the semi driven by Ruiz.
Ortega-Arzates’s truck struck the semi-trailer of Ruiz’s truck and “cut the trailer in half.”
KHP says that the truck driven by Ortega-Arzates sustained “significant” front-end damage and came to a stop in a ditch.
Ruiz’s truck became disabled on the highway.
Ruiz was hospitalized with serious injuries. Police say she was not wearing a seat belt.
Ortega-Arzates was not injured.
Police said that cattle required extrication from the trailer.