Snow plow kills 2 in Kansas after Midwest storm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A snow plow struck and killed two pedestrians before sunrise Friday in Kansas after a winter storm coated parts of the Midwest with snow.

The collision involving a Riley County plow truck happened shortly after 5 a.m., after the National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories across parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin and a large swath of Missouri.

Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner said the victims, both in their 20s, appear to have been crossing a road when they were struck north of the Kansas State University campus and near Tuttle Creek State Park. There are several mobile home parks in the area.

Gardner said the driver, who attempted to avoid hitting the victims, wasn't plowing or salting at the time but instead was headed to a new area with the plow's blade raised to resume his work. The victims' names weren't immediately released, pending notification of relatives. Gardner said he didn't know if they were university students.

Authorities have not said if it was snowing at the time of the accident.

Marvin Rodriguez, chairman of the Riley County Commission, described the accident as a “tremendous tragedy."

“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in the accident,” he said in a news release.

In neighboring Missouri, roads in much of the north of the state are covered in snow. The Missouri Department of Transportation urged drivers in a news release to “remain vigilant.”

The University of Missouri's flagship campus in Columbia canceled all classes that were scheduled to start before 10 a.m. Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, also announced a delayed start.

Numerous school districts canceled classes, including several in the Kansas City area.