Hamilton County crash leaves 1 severely injured

HAMILTON COUNTY, Kan. — A car versus train accident on Saturday evening has left one man in critical condition.

The accident occurred just after 5:30 p.m. on Saturday when a 2006 Isuzu I-280 truck was traveling northbound on Barton Street, just a tenth of a mile southeast of the Syracuse city limits. The driver drove around the train crossing grades and hit the side of the Burlington Santa Fe Train that was traveling eastbound.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, the truck rotated counter-clockwise an undetermined amount of times and the driver was thrown from the vehicle.

The driver, Samuel Zapata, 20, of Syracuse was taken to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita with suspected serious injuries. He was not wearing his seat belt.

The KHP also reported that it was a police pursuit.