Truck Involved in Gardner Accident Found in Iowa | News

GARDNER, Kan. — The Kansas Highway Patrol has located the driver of the semi-truck involved in a serious accident on Feb. 8 that injured a pregnant woman, who delivered her daughter early.

The driver of the truck left the scene and accident investigators speculated that the truck driver did not feel the impact and did not realize he’d been hit. The truck was found in Iowa.

The expectant mother, 33-year-old Nikki McClure collided with the truck on I-35 near 175h Street at about 7 a.m.  She was rushed to the hospital in serious condition and delivered a healthy baby girl.

Officers say the truck was fully loaded and weighed approximately 80,000 pounds, and the co-drivers were unaware the accident had even occurred. It is not uncommon for occupants of vehicles of this size and weight to be unaware of a crash, if they are struck by a passenger car.

“The trucking company and drivers have been fully cooperative,” said Lieutenant Tom Catania, field supervisor in Troop A. “We don’t expect any charges to be filed in this case.”

Following the accident, a media release was issued and tips started coming into the Patrol, however no information was available to help identify the company or driver. Witness accounts did place the truck traveling north through Kansas into Missouri, and later placed the truck near the Missouri-Iowa state line. Another release was issued on Thursday, explaining the path the truck followed and that the truck possibly still had the car hood impaled in the rear of the trailer. A call was then received from the Des Moines area of someone who noticed the truck.