Three-car accident under investigation

A Lawrence woman was taken by helicopter Saturday to KU Med after rear-ending another vehicle north of Lawrence.

The 22-year-old woman was westbound on U.S. Highway 24-40 in a 1963 Ford Fairlane when she struck the back of a Ford Thunderbird stopped at the highway’s intersection with U.S. Highway 59, or Teepee Junction, Douglas County Sheriff’s Lt. Kathy Tate said. There were no skid marks, indicating an attempt to stop, at the scene, she said.

The force of the impact propelled the Thunderbird into the back of a Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck that was stopped in front of it at the stoplight, Tate said. The pickup ended up in the intersection, but no cross-traffic was approaching.

The 47-year-old Tonganoxie man driving the pickup declined treatment at the scene. His passenger, a 44-year-old man from Smithville, Mo., was taken by ambulance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

The 21-year-old Tonganoxie man driving the Thunderbird also was taken to LMH.

The Sheriff’s Office declined to release names late Saturday pending family notification.

Alcohol was being investigated as a factor in the accident, Tate said.

Lawrence Police seek suspect in armed theft

Lawrence Police continue to investigate an armed shoplifting that occurred late Tuesday at Dillons, 1740 Mass.

A woman who had a friend’s 2-year-old baby in her cart filled it with school supplies and attempted to leave the store, Sgt. Dave Hubbel said. When a 29-year-old male store employee tried to stop her, she pulled a knife out of her pocket, grabbed items from the cart, left the infant behind and fled on foot, Hubbel said.

A man walking nearby spotted the cart rolling across the parking lot with the infant inside and stopped it.

Police have not yet tracked down the suspect, although they know her first name and have footage of her on a surveillance video, Hubbel said.

Showers dampen Lawrence

The Lawrence area received up to 0.13 of an inch of rain on Saturday, capping off a week of small storms.

Although there was a slight chance for more rain overnight Saturday, the best likelihood for moisture this week will come on Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Topeka predicted.

A tenth of an inch of precipitation fell Saturday at Lawrence Municipal Airport, weather service technician Greg Painter said.

Northwest of 26th and Iowa streets, William Winkler recorded 0.12 of an inch of rain. There were showers at noon, he said, but most of the area’s rain came during thunderstorms between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Kenneth Blair said 0.13 of an inch fell in central Lawrence.

The weather service forecast calls for dry skies today, with morning lows in the mid-60s and afternoon highs in the mid-80s. The rest of the week through Saturday should bring partly cloudy skies, lows in the low- to mid-60s and highs in the mid-80s.