An injury accident on U.S. Highway 59 north of Baldwin Junction shutdown the highway in both directions Wednesday afternoon. At least one person was seriously injured and had to be extricated from the vehicle.

An injury accident on U.S. Highway 59 north of Baldwin Junction shutdown the highway in both directions Wednesday afternoon. At least one person was seriously injured and had to be extricated from the vehicle.

Emergency crews attend to a victim at the scene of a multi-vehicle injury accident on U.S. 59 north of Baldwin Junction on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

Traffic backs up on U.S. 59 north of Baldwin Junction after the highway was shut down due to a multi-vehicle injury accident on Thursday, Sept. 15.

One person was seriously injured and two people sustained minor injuries Wednesday morning after a two-vehicle accident about seven miles south of Lawrence.

Lori Pheigaru, of Topeka, was driving a 2002 Nissan Sentra north on U.S. Highway 59 about 11:15 a.m. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Sentra crossed the center line while negotiating a curve and entered the southbound lanes.

It collided head-on with a 2002 Chevrolet pickup truck driven south by Daniel Zirkle, 28, of Burlingame.

Pheigaru, 47, was taken to Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center in Topeka with serious injuries before she was transferred to Kansas University Hospital in Kansas City, Kan.

Zirkle, 28, of Burlingame, and his passenger, Andres Cardenas, 28, of Tigard, Ore., were taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. Cardenas was treated and released, but Zirkle was transferred to another hospital, according to LMH officials.

Firefighters had inquired about using a LifeStar helicopter to transport Pheigaru, who had to be extricated from the vehicle. Because of rain, however, no emergency helicopters were flying.