Tragic Head-On Collision in Crawford County Leaves One Dead, Two Injured
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CRAWFORD COUNTY, KS — A high-speed attempt to pass multiple vehicles ended in tragedy Saturday afternoon on K-126, claiming the life of a Cherokee man and leaving a teenager and an adult woman hospitalized.
The Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the scene at milepost 18.5, approximately 2.6 miles west of Highway 69, at 4:38 p.m. Saturday afternoon..
According to the official crash narrative, Craig Silvey, 37, of Cherokee, was traveling westbound in a 1995 Ford F150. Investigators report that Silvey was traveling at a high rate of speed and attempting to pass several other vehicles when he encountered oncoming traffic.
In the eastbound lane, Layla Sharbutt, 16, of Girard, was driving a 2023 Chevy Malibu. Seeing the truck in her lane, Sharbutt attempted an avoidance maneuver, but the two vehicles collided head-on. The force of the impact sent Silvey’s truck off the north side of the roadway, where it overturned.
Silvey sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later transported to a local mortuary. The report noted he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Sharbutt sustained suspected minor injuries and was transported to Pittsburg Mercy Hospital. She was wearing a safety restraint.
Heather Burgess, 48, A passenger in the Chevy Malibu sustained suspected serious injuries and was also transported to Pittsburg Mercy Hospital. She was wearing a safety restraint.
The highway remained restricted for several hours as Diskin’s Auto & Towing and A-1 Towing worked to clear the wreckage. The crash remains under investigation.
