Wanda Lara Injured in Truck Accident on I-35 in Lyon County, KS
Lyon County, KS — July 20, 2022, 59-year-old truck driver Wanda Lara was injured when her truck's dump bed hit a bridge on I-35 in Lyon County.
According to reports the incident happened around 10:40 a.m. on southbound I-35, around 10 miles east of Emporia. Preliminary investigation suggests Lara was driving a Freightliner semi-truck south when its dump bed, raised for unknown reasons, hit an overhead bridge. After the impact the truck overturned on its right side.
Lara, reportedly not wearing a seat belt, was transported to a Topeka hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Wanda Lara Accident on I-35 in Lyon County
According to reports the truck's dump bed was raised as it traveled, but why? Did the driver accidentally trigger the bed controls, or did they just malfunction and raise the dump container up on their own? Was the driver aware the dump bed was up? If not, why not? How long was the bed raised before it hit the bridge?
That's just a handful of many questions that still need answers here. Some may think it's not really necessary to dig into what happened since workers' comp will probably address the driver's injury, but if the dump bed raised due to a mechanical issue or a defect then whoever maintained it or built it may be partly responsible for the damage done. If so, as a matter of principle they should help the person hurt by their action (or inaction).
I don't want to overcomplicate things or point fingers here. I'm just saying that few crashes are really as simple as they might seem in news or police reports. To make sure all their details are known and any lingering questions are answered, it's important to investigate the matter carefully and learn all the facts--not just the easy ones on the surface. Will appropriate care be taken here to find the full story?
