Man killed in truck-semi crash Thursday morning in Reno County

HAVEN, Kan. (WIBW) - One person has died following a rear-end crash between a pickup truck and a semitrailer Thursday morning in Reno County in south-central Kansas, authorities said.

The crash was reported at 9:47 a.m. Thursday on K-96 highway at Worthington Road, about three miles east of Haven.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and a 2013 Peterbilt semitrailer were eastbound on K-96 when the semi slowed to make a right -- or southbound -- turn onto Worthington Road.

The patrol said the Silverado didn’t slow down in time and rear-ended the semi.

A passenger in the Silverado, Brian Lee Garza, 43, of Hutchinson, was pronounced dead at the scene. The patrol said it wasn’t known if Garza was wearing his seat belt.

The driver of the Silverado, Bryon Michael Young, 27, of Hutchinson, was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center with suspected minor injuries. The patrol said Young was wearing his seat belt.

The driver of the semi, Robert Francis Heimerman, 57, of Conway Springs, was reported to have possible injuries, but there was no record of him being transported to the hospital. The patrol said it wasn’t known if Heimerman was wearing his seat belt.