Quick Facts:
Where: The accident occurred on Highway 81 near Belleville in Republic County, Kansas.
What Happened: A van allegedly struck the back of a tractor-trailer.
Participants:
- Calvin Ricketts, driver of Ford van
- Andries Serdyn, driver of tractor-trailer
Reported Injuries/Fatalities:
- Calvin Ricketts, 62, killed
- Andries Serdyn, 53, injured
Details:
On or about Friday, October 22nd, 2021, around 11:10 in the morning, an accident between a tractor-trailer and a van claimed the life of a 62-year-old man from Wichita. Troopers from the KSP said the accident was reported along Highway 81 just outside Belleville in Republic County, Kansas.
Police said 62-year-old Calvin Ricketts was killed when the van he was driving allegedly struck the back of a tractor-trailer that had either stopped or slowed in traffic. Emergency responders pronounced Ricketts dead of his injuries a short time after they arrived at the scene of the crash. Police identified the driver of the tractor-trailer as 53-year-old Andries Serdyn, who was taken to Republic County Hospital with unspecified injuries.
According to Google Maps, the scene of the accident is about 6 miles north of Belleville, which is roughly 157 miles north of Wichita.
Authorities are still investigating the accident.