An Overland Park man died Tuesday morning when his sedan was rear-ended by a pickup near Deep Creek Road south of Manhattan, Kansas. The victim, identified as 54-year-old James E. Echols, lost his life in the two-vehicle crash on Kansas Highway 177 (K-177).
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), the accident occurred just after 11 a.m. Tuesday when a 2005 Ford Super Duty traveling northbound struck the rear of a 2012 Hyundai Accent driven by Echols. Investigators say the pickup — driven by a 17-year-old female from Manhattan — collided with the Accent about one mile south of Deep Creek Road, sending the sedan off the road into an eastern ditch and leaving the truck on the highway shoulder.
The force of the impact was catastrophic. Echols was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities confirmed. His passenger — a 52-year-old woman, identified in reports as Nakeenya M. Echols of Las Vegas — was hospitalized with serious injuries, treated at a local medical center.
The teenage driver of the Ford did not suffer major injuries and was reported as “not significantly hurt.”
According to crash logs from KHP, the incident reportedly happened around mile-marker 101 on northbound K-177 — about 1.1 miles south of Deep Creek Road. Drivers said the sedan was in the right lane before the pickup collided with it. The Ford came to rest on the west shoulder of the highway, while the Accent ended up in the east ditch.
At this hour, KHP has not released full details on whether seat belts were worn or whether speed, road conditions, or distraction played a role. Officials noted that seatbelt usage for the driver was unknown, and the passenger was reportedly not wearing one.
News of the crash has cast a pall over the Overland Park community, where friends remember Echols as a steady presence in his neighborhood. As the investigation continues, questions remain — but one thing is certain: a life was cut short, and a family now faces an uncertain holiday.
