A 61-year-old Baldwin City man was taken by LifeStar helicopter to the Kansas University Medical Center early Sunday morning after a single-vehicle accident north of Baldwin City.

According to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Steve Lewis, the accident occurred shortly before midnight when Claude Chappelle’s southbound Mazda pick-up truck hit a ditch in the 400 block of County Road 1055, which is north of Baldwin City.

Medics and Douglas County Sheriff’s officers called for a LifeStar helicopter ambulance to land at the Vinland airport to transport Chappelle, whose injuries were described as serious by emergency dispatchers. As of Sunday morning, no further information about Chappelle’s status was available.

Medics with the Palmyra Township Fire Department, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical and the Baldwin City Fire Department were among those who responded.

After Chappelle’s accident, another vehicle hit Chappelle’s truck and fled the scene, Lewis said. However, no further information regarding that incident was available as of Sunday morning.

Check LJWorld.com for updates.