Deer accident leads to turnpike pile-up

A car struck a guardrail trying to avoid a deer early this morning on the Kansas Turnpike west of Lawrence, causing a four-vehicle pile-up that also took out 15 sections of concrete barriers and guardrails, turnpike officials said.

The wreck caused both the eastbound and westbound lanes of traffic to be shut down for a period after the accident, which occurred at 3:23 a.m. about a mile east of the Lecompton interchange. All lanes had reopened by 11 a.m.

One person was injured and taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital by ambulance. There was no word on his condition late this afternoon.

The accident began in the eastbound lanes when the driver of a Pontiac Firebird stopped after striking a guardrail while trying to avoid a deer according to the Kansas Turnpike Authority.

While the driver got out of his car and reported the accident by cell phone, the Firebird was struck by a semi-tractor trailer causing a chain reaction that involved another semi and a pickup truck.