From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for March 28, 1987:

It was a tragic day for the Kansas University and Lawrence communities as four KU students were killed overnight when their car was struck by a train and the car’s gasoline tank exploded. The victims, ranging in age from 19 to 21, had been driving on County Road 1900 N north of Lawrence when the accident occurred. They were reported to have been on their way to a sorority party at Shirk’s barn. A neighbor living near the accident scene said that residents had been asking for a signal at the crossing, where school buses crossed the tracks about four times a day. A spokesman for the Kansas Highway Patrol said that there were still several details unknown as of this morning, such as whether the driver had seen the train. A Union Pacific representative said that the rail company was also conducting its own investigation of the accident.