Young girl killed in crash near Eudora

A young girl was killed Sunday afternoon when two cars collided at an intersection 4 miles south of Eudora, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

The names of the fatality victim and others involved were not released pending family notifications. An investigation is continuing, Sheriff’s Lt. Ken Massey said.

The collision at the intersection of County Road 1061 and North 1100 Road involved westbound and northbound passenger cars, Massey said.

The fatality victim, age 4 or 5, was in the westbound car, Massey said. A woman driving that car was taken by helicopter ambulance to University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan. A 9-year-old girl in the same vehicle was not injured. All are from Douglas County, Massey said.

A female passenger in the northbound car was injured and taken by helicopter to a Kansas City-area hospital, Massey said. A man who was driving the car was not transported to a hospital, Massey said.

More information is to be released today, Massey said.

State

Order aims to stop abuse of government cell phones

Topeka — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has issued an order aimed at stopping state employees from relying on state cell phones for personal use and from using them while driving a state vehicle.

“The use of cellular phones while operating vehicles presents potentially dangerous driving conditions and it is strongly discouraged while operating state vehicles,” Sebelius said.

“Additionally, the use of state cellular phones for personal, nonstate business purposes can constitute an improper use of state property,” she said.

Employees who violate the policies could face disciplinary measures.

An internal audit last year of cell phone usage found some abuses of state cell phones, such as making personal calls. The report also said the state needed to better coordinate what kinds of calling plans it purchased.