Update (April 14, 2025): Authorities have identified the other people who were killed in this accident. Larry Smith, 72, was driving a 2012 Ford F-150. Baiel Sharshembiev, 24, was driving a 2015 Volvo semi-truck. Carlos Arzate, 48, was driving a 2024 Ford F-350 with passenger Manuel Alarcon, 57. Stephanie Purcell, 61, was driving a 2015 Toyota Highlander. Mario Juarez, 31, was driving a 2019 Ford F-150. Giovanni Stefan, 60, was driving a 2024 Mercedes Sprinter van.

Update (March 20, 2025): A Goodland college has identified one of the people killed in this crash as sophomore Dawson Hogan, who was headed home to Salina for spring break. He was studying electrical technology at Fort Hays Tech Northwest.

Sherman County, KS — March 14, 2025, eight people were killed and more than 30 others were injured in a truck accident at about 3:20 p.m. on Interstate 70.

Authorities said more than 70 vehicles were involved in a pile-up near mile marker 28 that closed both sides of the interstate as a severe dust storm reduced visibility to almost zero.

The highway was shut down between Goodland and Colby for more than 24 hours after the crashes, according to authorities.

Eight people died in the crashes and more than 30 were injured, authorities said. Their names have not been made public yet.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Sherman County crashes at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Large-scale pileups involving commercial trucks raise serious concerns about visibility, driver reaction times and whether authorities had enough warning systems in place to prevent disaster. In this case, reports indicate that more than 70 vehicles crashed on Interstate 70 during a severe dust storm, leading to multiple fatalities and dozens of injuries. A full investigation should determine whether this was due to driver error, weather conditions or a lack of proper traffic management.

One of the first questions investigators should answer is whether authorities had issued adequate warnings about the dust storm. Sudden visibility loss on highways is extremely dangerous, and when conditions deteriorate to near-zero visibility, drivers may not have enough time to react. Were variable message signs, highway patrol alerts or other notifications used to slow or divert traffic before conditions became hazardous? If not, that could point to a failure in traffic management.

Another key factor is how individual drivers responded to the low-visibility conditions. In dust storms, high winds can create blinding conditions in seconds. Did some drivers continue traveling at high speeds despite the risk? Did any commercial trucks fail to slow down in time to avoid chain-reaction crashes? Reviewing black box data from involved trucks, along with traffic camera footage, could help determine whether excessive speed contributed to the severity of the pileup.

The role of commercial trucks in these pileups should also be closely examined. Large trucks take longer to stop and have difficulty maneuvering in emergency situations. If multiple trucks were involved, did their size and weight contribute to the extent of the crash? Investigators should determine whether poor spacing between vehicles, lack of reduced speeds or failure to stop in time made an already bad situation worse.

At this stage, there isn’t enough public information to determine exactly what led to this crash. But if authorities focus only on who hit whom without investigating why so many vehicles were unable to avoid the pileup — whether due to poor visibility warnings, driver behavior or a lack of emergency response measures — they risk missing key details. A thorough investigation should take all possible factors into account to understand what went wrong and how similar disasters can be prevented in the future.