2000 block of E. 1400 Road
Accident on E. 1400 Road
Emergency response personnel respond to the scene of an accident involving a motorcycle and a tractor pulling a mower Friday morning near the intersection of E. 1400 Road and N. 2000 Road. Enlarge video
Two seriously injured in accident
Two people sustained serious injuries in an accident Friday morning. The accident happened when a motorcycle hit a tractor that was attempting to turn. Enlarge video
Two men were seriously injured after an accident in the 2000 section of East 1400 Road on Friday morning.
Emergency crews were called to the scene at 8:55 a.m. after a motorcycle traveling north on East 1400 Road collided with a tractor traveling south, according to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Steve Lewis.
Lewis said Allan Easum, 83, of Jefferson County, was attempting a left turn from East 1400 Road onto a gravel road when the motorcycle struck the back right tire of his tractor.
The driver of the motorcycle, Ryan Rubow, 29, of McLouth, was taken to Kansas University Hospital via LifeStar helicopter with serious injuries.
No information on his condition was available Friday night.
Easum was taken by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical to Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center in Topeka with serious injuries.
A family member reported that Easum had surgery on Friday afternoon and remained in intensive care. The hospital listed him in fair condition Friday night.
Comments
cheeseburger 2 years, 10 months ago
check the coordinates again.
Kryptonite 2 years, 10 months ago
I think that is supposed to be 2000 East 1400 Road up Wellman road.
wmathews 2 years, 10 months ago
The original address reported was incorrect, and we've updated the story. Thank you for letting us know!
Whitney Mathews Online Editor
cheeseburger 2 years, 10 months ago
Oh Whitney - honesty is the best policy! Better to admit a mistake than to blame someone else!
MacHeath 2 years, 10 months ago
That is a dangerous intersection. Hope everyone is ok.
Ron Holzwarth 2 years, 10 months ago
It wouldn't be such a dangerous intersection if everyone on highway 59/24 slowed to the posted limit, which I believe is 45 mph, everyone came to a full stop at the stop sign and carefully checked in both directions before proceeding, and nobody passed in the no passing zone. Of course, that is a Utopia that will never happen.
My opinion is, the real problem is that if you actually do slow down to the posted limit the drivers following you stack up like a freight train, so you end up with a line of cars and trucks only inches behind your back bumper. Apparently they feel there is no need to slow down, just because of a speed limit that they think does not apply to them.
I think it would be a good idea if our local police department made a hobby out of using their radar guns at that intersection. It would be happy huntin', because a lot of drivers blast right through there at an incredible rate of speed.
kernal 2 years, 10 months ago
Isn't that area still outside the city limits?
overthemoon 2 years, 10 months ago
Interesting, in AZ they have deactivated their speed check cameras because people found them 'an invasion of privacy'. Speeding is illegal, not a 'personal right'. Kinda like illegal immigration.
I find it amazing that when I'm moving a comfortable 5 miles above the speed limit on I-70 that people passing me at 80-85 mph seem to think that I'm going too slow. Like the speed limit is optional.
lawrenceks66 2 years, 10 months ago
This would be patrolled by the Kansas Highway Patrol NOT the Lawrence Police Department as it is in the county.
lawrenceks66 2 years, 10 months ago
Or even the Douglas County Sherriff's office would have this under their jurisdiction.
Ron Holzwarth 2 years, 10 months ago
Oh yeah - I wasn't thinking, it is outside the city limits!
I was distracted by thinking about another motorcyle accident that occurred at the exact same intersection, apparently. The very same one that my friend was killed at so many years ago.
lawrenceks66 2 years, 10 months ago
It is a horrible intersection .. I've almost been hit many times taking my son to his friends house and picking him up ..
bwebcorp 2 years, 10 months ago
Now your on the money. All the firetrucks, ambulances, and polices cars were heading through North Lawrence. Original statement seemed a little off.
Ron Holzwarth 2 years, 10 months ago
That's terrible - from the map, it appears that it happened at the exact same intersection that a friend of mine was killed at many years ago. I can never drive through it without thinking about him.
But, he was drunk, riding a motorcycle, and he ran the stop sign at a very high rate of speed, according to the police report.
So there really was nothing the truck driver could do to avoid the accident. And, I'm sure he remembers that accident too, every time he passes through that intersection.
gccs14r 2 years, 10 months ago
That intersection needs to be redesigned. There is too much traffic there now to leave it the way it is.
FieldTested 2 years, 10 months ago
That is the real solution. Speed limits don't really change people's behavior. Police enforcement is expensive and only effective for the duration of the effort.
The combination of curves, limited sight lines, changing pavement angles, poor access control, and the antiquated 5 way intersection has made this intersection a dangerous one for as long as I can remember. Add the high level of motorcycle traffic on 24-40, and serious accidents are the result.
While I am not a universal fan of traffic circles, this intersection would probably be a great candidate for one similar to the one south of Garnett, where 169 & 59 come together at an unusual angle. Circles are effective at slowing traffic, and drastically reduce the number of accidents with injuries. And the large rural circles do not seem to confuse drivers as much some of the smaller ones.
My thoughts go out to those involved in the accident.
countrygirl 2 years, 10 months ago
Traffic circle? With grain trucks and semis going through out there?
Pywacket 2 years, 10 months ago
As he said--- "....LARGE rural circles...."
Obviously, they couldn't put one of those ridiculous tiny things like they have between campus and Lawrence High School (not sure of the streets--17th or 18th and Indiana..?).
But there is plenty of room to put an adequately large circle out there and, although all the fact-denying roundabout-phobes would squeal like stuck pigs, it would probably save lives and avert many life-threatening collisions.
50YearResident 2 years, 10 months ago
Multiple injuries? Just how many people can get on one motorcycle?
kernal 2 years, 10 months ago
The other injured person was not on the motorcycle.
yourworstnightmare 2 years, 10 months ago
Cyclists take too many risks. Aparently, this one was trying to cut it as close as possible to the tractor during the turn.
Motorists must watch for cyclists, but cyclists must also take responsibility for their behavior on the road.
A loud bike doesn't make up for foolish behavior.
Hoots 2 years, 10 months ago
and you are making so many assumpyions. The tractor could have turned in front of him. I've seen people make some pretty risky moves with farm equiptment. Have you ever thought that something going very slow on a road that has a much higher prevailing speed can be dangerous? The guy on the tractor is 83 by the way. Maybe he didn't see them. My parents are five years younger than the farmet and they aren't all that sharp anymore. There could be many factors that caused this.
yourworstnightmare 2 years, 10 months ago
I must confess to purposefully trolling. I just wanted to test the Pavlovian response to any criticism of motorcyclists.
My experiment was a success!
Hoots 2 years, 10 months ago
And you in your car texting, talking, eating a cheese burger, shaving, reading, putting on makeup, not wearing your seatbelt, talking to passengers, etc. These are all things that don't distract me on my motorcycle. Only roughly 38,000-44,000 people die in cars every year depending on the year. That's like a 747 Jumbo Jet crashing and killing all abourd every 3 days yet people still drive yet no one would fly in the airlines had that record.
Majestic42 2 years, 10 months ago
Successful troll is successful.
LA_Ex 2 years, 10 months ago
Ummm, if the tractor was turning left, it means he was turning in front of the motorcycle. Now unless the motorcycle was significantly exceeding the speed limit, the tractor is at fault. You are NOT supposed to turn until it is safe for you to turn. If oncoming traffic has to slow down for you to turn, then it wasn't safe for you to turn. Common sense. This applies to to ALL vehicles.
kernal 2 years, 10 months ago
I'm not familiar with the intersection. If the biker was speeding, is it possible the tractor driver would not have seen him when he began his turn?
coltcoley503 2 years, 10 months ago
How do you know the motorcycle wasn't behind the tractor??? It just says the motorcycle hit the back tire of the tractor that could mean he was behind and ran into it or he could have turned in front of the motorcycle and then he tried to miss it and hit the back tire of the tractor, you never know you can not just assume the tractor turned in front of the motorcycle!
LA_Ex 2 years, 10 months ago
Sure I can. I read the article and the motorcycle struck the right rear tire of a tractor turning left. It also says in the article that the motorcycle was traveling northbound and the tractor was southbound. Remember that RIF commercial from back in the day?
thepianoman 2 years, 10 months ago
These days, it's about getting the information posted as quickly as possible.....Checking the facts is only a minor detail.......Sad, but true........
wmathews 2 years, 10 months ago
I can assure you that checking facts is not an afterthought for us. There was confusion as to the site of the accident (initially reported in the 200 block of E. 1400 vs. the 2000 block of E. 1400). We corrected the error and noted it in the text.
thepianoman 2 years, 10 months ago
These days, it's about getting the information posted as quickly as possible.....Checking the facts is only a minor detail.......Sad, but true........
Pywacket 2 years, 10 months ago
Heard you the first time, pianoman. You were evidently bursting out of your skin in your haste to post that important observation. (Hint: if you have hit "post," just be patient--it sometimes takes longer than usual to post. There is no need to press the key again.)
I feel for the LJW--they are damned if they do, damned if they don't. If we don't have instant access to breaking news, they are mocked for not being the KC Star. If they get reports up as they roll in, modifying and correcting as new data become available, they are mocked for not "checking the facts."
I think they do a pretty good job of posting as much as they can, as accurately as they can, as quickly as they can on most of these stories. When there are errors, it's usually due to what they were given by another source--not because they messed up.
And they are invariably gracious about correcting errors, even thanking readers who reported those errors in a less-than-polite tone.
I have made critical comments here and there (and may do so again) but I want to make sure that they get credit for a job well done when it is deserved--as it is, more often than not!
wmathews 2 years, 10 months ago
Thank you for the flattering words, Pywacket. We appreciate all feedback, especially anything that can help us improve. Covering breaking news is an evolving, intense process as we now have resources that provide instant information, but we do the best we can.
Whitney Mathews Online Editor
Pywacket 2 years, 10 months ago
Whitney, anyone who knows me would tell you I am not a sweetie pie--so if I say good things, I really think you deserve them!
Jay_lo 2 years, 10 months ago
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says… "Cyclists take too many risks. Aparently, this one was trying to cut it as close as possible to the tractor during the turn.
Motorists must watch for cyclists, but cyclists must also take responsibility for their behavior on the road.
A loud bike doesn't make up for foolish behavior."
Might want to reread the story. Vehicles were travelling in opposite directions. Sounds like the tractor attempted a left turn in front of oncoming traffic (motorcycle). Cycle hit right rear tire which would be the one presented to oncoming traffic as tractor attempted left turn.
Tractor also had rotary mower on back. Sounds like it left little if any room for the motorcyclist to avoid it. Miss the rear tire, hit either the frame of the tractor in front of tire or the mower behind the tire.
Sounds more like 83 year old with less than perfect eyesight may not have seen the motorcycle coming, turned in front, and offered cyclist no chance to avoid collision.
yourworstnightmare 2 years, 10 months ago
I must confess to purposefully trolling. I just wanted to test the Pavlovian response to any criticism of motorcyclists.
My experiment was a success!
Pywacket 2 years, 10 months ago
Nice job of failing to man up and admit it when you were called out for shooting your mouth off w/o engaging brain. While it is possible that more clarifying info may change our picture of this accident, going by what has been written SO FAR, Jay Lo's assessment sounds far more likely than yours.
You should acknowledge that and withdraw your criticism of the victim--and cyclists in general. Instead, you try to pawn it off as "purposeful" trolling and an "experiment" instead of a complete lack of reading comprehension. Hope you believe yourself, as it's doubtful that anyone else does.
Hoots 2 years, 10 months ago
Are you serious? Next time you are travelling down a road at 50 plus miles per hour let me throw 10,000 pounds of metal in front of you at random and I'll call you a jerk and say it's all your fault when you crash. Maybe some people shouldn't be anywhere near a road and maybe some people should pay attention and save a life or six. Your text or phone call isn't more important than anyones life.
meggers 2 years, 10 months ago
Good analysis, Jay_Lo. It sounds like the driver of the truck just didn't see the motorcycle and turned in front of him. That sort of thing happens far too often.
Regardless of who is to blame, I hope everyone recovers ok.
50YearResident 2 years, 10 months ago
Where did the truck appear from? It was a tractor. A mower attached to a tractor swings outward several feet when making a turn. I have hit more than one fence while mowing with a brush cutter.
wmathews 2 years, 10 months ago
A rotary mower was attached to the tractor. The tractor was turning left onto a gravel road off E. 1400. The motorcyclist hit the back right tire of the tractor (not the mower).
Whitney Mathews Online Editor
50YearResident 2 years, 10 months ago
My comment was directed to meggers, your story was clear about the vehicles involved. (to most of us anyway)
meggers 2 years, 10 months ago
Sorry, I meant tractor, not truck. Thanks for the correction.
wmathews 2 years, 10 months ago
No problem. Just trying to help.
Truami 2 years, 10 months ago
If people really cared about the oil spill they would stop driving. If you stop driving then you don't have car accidents. If car accidents go away the death rate drops by a lot. Karma and Fate do exist... the fact that there are so many car accidents is a warning sign that we are damaging the planet and the planet is fighting back. How could this be? Collect Conciousness and the fact that we live on a sentient being. Doubt me? Prove me wrong so that I know the facts :)
whatadrag 2 years, 10 months ago
Are you still in elementary school?
Pywacket 2 years, 10 months ago
Hey, that's practical! Why didn't we think of that? Just stop driving. Oh, hey--and the planet is "fighting back"? By programming drivers' thoughts and making them do dumb things, no doubt.
What sentient being do we live on, pray tell? The earth is really a giant oyster? a tortoise? Nope--can't prove that wrong--it's just so obviously true! Next thing you know, it will be uprooting trees from its surface and sweeping the highways with them.
somedude20 2 years, 10 months ago
Damn kid your on a roll. You use to write insightful thoughts about some of the stories posted on the LJW and I enjoyed reading them but the last few days, it appears as though you are just trolling around making snide remarks about posts like how "I Value America" does (you know when he went around telling everyone that they would be a bad parent). Yes, some of the people act like jerks and need to be told whats what but when you do it 3,4,5,6 times in one blog, that is overkill. Please don't turn into IVA! Nice eyes btw
Pywacket 2 years, 10 months ago
Come on, Dude! I just come here to blow off steam (and some of these wankers just beg for it), but I don't purposely look for stuff to b**ch about. Sadly, it leaps off the screen. I'll try to restrain myself.
Of course, I have said some nice things, today, too. A little cred, eh?
The eyes--You're liking Kim Novak's or (the original) Pyewacket's? My own are as green as theirs are blue...
somedude20 2 years, 10 months ago
The avatar that you use has nice eyes (the cats creep me out a bit though)
monheim 2 years, 10 months ago
You're saying that the earth used its magic to make a famer turn in the way of a motorcycle? And you want us to prove you wrong? Sorry. Ever hear of burden of proof? You're the one making this silly claim, so you have to back it up.
PopcoRN 2 years, 10 months ago
If the motorcycle was traveling at a high rate of speed, it's possible he wasn't even visible yet when Mr. Easum attempted his turn.
Regardless of who was at fault, I hope both of the men survive this. My thoughts are with their families.
PopcoRN 2 years, 10 months ago
Also...it's good to see that the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet. Hopefully that will increase his chances of survival.
purplesage 2 years, 10 months ago
Police frequently sit alongside the road in this area. The DG Co portion of Wellman is the best part of the whole thing and has, by 10MPH, the lowest speed limit. That hill by the boat storage place makes for a good speed trap.
Wellman is a crummy, dumpy, overtraveled road, especially from 16 south to 59. Traffic is lighter to the N. of that point. All of those intersections are bad. In fact, the whole lenght of the the road is plagued by poor visibility, oddly angled intersections and other hazards.
I can't think of two more incompatible vehicles, speed, visibility, etc. than a motorcycle and a tractor. I hope the young man does all right and that the elderly gentleman is not seriously injured.
Jay_lo 2 years, 10 months ago
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) replies… "I must confess to purposefully trolling. I just wanted to test the Pavlovian response to any criticism of motorcyclists.
My experiment was a success!"
BULL! You just decided for yourself that the motorcycle was behind the tractor and cut it too close while not slowing down as it passed the tractor. You simply misread the story, you weren't purposely trolling with that part of your statement.
As for your Pavlovian response experiment, I neither ride nor am any special kind of fan of motorcycles, so was responding only to your incorrect information. Not defending motorcyclists in general from your criticism.
Majestic42 2 years, 10 months ago
Troll understand fail. Successful troll is still successful.
thebigspoon 2 years, 10 months ago
I live North of there and yes there are Sheriff cars out there a lot running radar. They like to sit right on the county line road and across from Arnie's boats. They also sit at the farm store at night quite often. I know that very few people pay attention to the 45 mph speed limit going around the curves there. I guess they will be there more now that this has happened. Speed is usually a factor in the accidents in this area I am sure.
gccs14r 2 years, 10 months ago
I finally watched the video segment. The accident was at the intersection of N 2100 Rd and E 1400 Rd, which is a lot different place than N 2000 and E 1400 (Midland Junction). While Midland Junction does need to be redesigned, it had nothing to do with this accident. Also, it looks like there are clear sight lines at the scene, so it's more likely that the tractor driver just didn't have good enough vision to see the bike coming. The bike is in relatively good condition and did not travel far after the collision, so it did not hit the tractor at very high speed, indicating that the bike was probably not speeding at the time of the accident.
whatadrag 2 years, 10 months ago
Nope
wmathews 2 years, 10 months ago
Wellman Road, E. 1400 Road and County Road 1045 are all the same thing. If the accident occurs between two blocks (2000 and 2100) then we report it in the 2000 block of E. 1400 Road, which is where we flagged the map.
The marker has been moved up a bit now, but to say it was "nowhere near" the accident is inaccurate.
Whitney Mathews Online Editor
OldEnuf2BYurDad 2 years, 10 months ago
Don't take no crap, Whitney!
gccs14r 2 years, 10 months ago
Whitney,
Your very own video link shows the street signs at the intersection at the 35 second mark. The accident was at the intersection of N 2100 Rd and E 1400 Rd. Saying it was near N 2000 Rd is misleading, at best.
wmathews 2 years, 10 months ago
Admittedly the map itself should've been updated sooner than it was after the video was added and we discovered the accident was closer to N. 2100 Road. However, I stand by the coverage we provided in this breaking news situation.
Whitney Mathews Online Editor
gccs14r 2 years, 10 months ago
You can stand by your coverage all you like, but you map as of 17:00 Friday is still wrong, as are your photo and video captions. Your map arrow should be pointing at the intersection of E 1400 and N 2100, not halfway between Midland Junction and N 2100. The tractor ended up in the ditch on the south side of N 2100 east of Wellman Rd, and the motorcycle ended up on Wellman at the north edge of the intersection of N 2100 Rd. 59 Hwy/N 2000 Rd were not involved in this incident.
Boston_Corbett 2 years, 10 months ago
Perhaps the better word would be "misleading."
Reporting an accident ON a US highway, vs an accident .5 or 1 mile OFF of a US highway are two different locations, especially when your readers believe, and start writing about, prior accidents at an intersection on the US highway which was not involved at all.
gccs14r 2 years, 10 months ago
Exactly. In town, reporting an accident at 17th and Indiana as the 1600 block of Indiana can be technically accurate and not horribly misleading (even if it doesn't tell people planning to drive down 17th that they may encounter an accident scene), but reporting something in the 2000 block of E1400 Rd makes for a mile of guesswork, especially when the motorcycle ended up north of N 2100 Rd after the collision. It's like saying an accident happened near 23rd and Iowa when it happened at 31st and Iowa.
ralphralph 2 years, 10 months ago
"Wellman Road, E. 1400 Road and County Road 1045 are all the same thing." DG Co has a rather bad and multiplicitous road-naming system. Have they considered picking a name for each road and sticking with it?
thebigspoon 2 years, 10 months ago
I think part of the problem is when you turn North at the Midland farm store only the first mile of Wellman is in Douglas county. Past that is Jefferson county...
gccs14r 2 years, 10 months ago
Right. And the accident was so far up Wellman, the bike ended up in Jeff County.
50YearResident 2 years, 10 months ago
Blame Google, not the JWorld as I have noticed errors on google arrow pointer locations in some rural location maps.
oneeye_wilbur 2 years, 10 months ago
What a shame. Mr Easum has been enjoying his retirement and has been quite sharp. His accident is what I always feared would happen to both of my parents and leave them stranded in a nursing home for ever. Thank god, that didn't happen. Even my own father who delivered meals on wheels until he was 89 stopped because one day he had misplaced his insurance card. He knew that he should not be on the road without it. I am so greatful that neither of them had to be in an auto accident.
My best wishes to the Easums and the family of the motorcyclist as well. Those cycles are dangerous, they really are.
smitherinm 2 years, 10 months ago
I was there at the scene and got to talk to Allan. Are you a good friend of his and the family? If so do you happen to know how he is doing? I know that he was really worried about Ryan after the accident and was pretty shook up.
Boston_Corbett 2 years, 10 months ago
As stated by others, this was not at the Wellman Road/Midland Junction intersection.
LadyJ 2 years, 10 months ago
I watched a semi pull out at the last minute in front of the motorcycle directly in front of me on 6th street near Iowa about an hour ago. We both had to hit the brakes, scary. But as someone pointed out, the motorcycle may not have been in sight when he started his turn. It's been a long time since I've been on that road, but sometimes visibility is not good and the motorcycle may not have seen the tractor till too late. Tractors, especially when pulling something, don't turn that fast so I'm assuming lack of visibility may definitely be a factor. Had a few scary close calls on that road in my younger days myself, as a passenger. Prayers to the families.
smitherinm 2 years, 10 months ago
Has several broken bones ranging from his Arms, legs, ribs, neck, shoulders, and back. Internal bleeding and the last I talked to someone they mentioned that he was still in surgery as of 4pm. Keep the prayers coming for both Ryan and his family.
solamia 2 years, 10 months ago
How did you get this info? Any more updates? Hoping all turns out ok.
solamia 2 years, 10 months ago
Good to hear the phrase "lucky man" used. Whew. Also sending positive thoughts for Mr. Easum.
ashleyshoemaker 2 years, 10 months ago
My prayers are with you Al!!!! You will pull through this!
MacHeath 2 years, 10 months ago
I don't know if anyone is still reading these posts, but I get darned tired of folks that say that no intersection would be bad if people just drove correctly. These folks are the ones that can't accept the fact that bad things happen to good people. I heard the same sort of bull when I have posted about the Baldwin junction on 59. That intersection on Wellman road is particularly bad. You can't see 59 far either way. There is a third gravel road that intersects at the same place. You have the business on the other side of the road. All this mess makes a dangerous intersection, at any speed. If there was ever a place to put a roundabout, that is the place.
gccs14r 2 years, 10 months ago
Everything you say is true, but this accident didn't happen there. The accident was on Wellman up at the Jefferson County line.
MacHeath 2 years, 10 months ago
I get confused sometimes...
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