A Wichita man was killed when a work van he was riding in struck a semi from behind on Interstate 235 in southwest Wichita.
The crash was reported Wednesday afternoon around 1:20 in the northbound lanes of the interstate, just south of K-42. The Kansas Highway Patrol said a semi had been stopped on the shoulder, then it moved into the right lane and began to accelerate to highway speed. A northbound van was unable to stop in time and it struck the rear left corner of the trailer.
A passenger in the van, 49-year-old Justin Higgins of Wichita, died a short time later at a hospital. The driver of the van, a 37-year-old man from Wichita, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the semi was not hurt.
