TOPEKA, Kan. — In a tragic highway accident in eastern Kansas, eight lives were lost, including those of two teenage basketball players, a coach, and a trainer from the Tulsa area. They were making their way back from a tournament when this devastating incident took place.
Reports from authorities detailed that the crash occurred on a two-lane segment of U.S. 169, approximately 60 miles southwest of Kansas City, Missouri. Among the victims were also three members of a family from the St. Louis area. The collision was the result of an SUV driven by the basketball team’s trainer heading southbound and a northbound sedan carrying the St. Louis family, the Kansas Highway Patrol confirmed.
Fortunately, a third teenager from the Tulsa area survived and is receiving treatment for what is considered a minor injury by the Highway Patrol.
Heart-wrenching video shared by KSHB-TV in Kansas City showed bystanders desperate to rescue those trapped inside the flaming vehicles, pounding on windows in an attempt to aid the victims, yet the intensity of the fire thwarted their efforts.
Among the youthful victims were Donald “DJ” Laster, 14, a student at Booker T. Washington High School, and Kyrin Schumpert, a ninth-grader at the Union High School Freshman Academy. Both were part of the Oklahoma Chaos youth basketball team, which had just participated in a Kansas City tournament. The Oklahoma Chaos organization conveyed their heartbreak over the loss, labelling the crash as “an unimaginable tragedy.”
Messages on social media from the organization urged the community to offer love and support to the grieving families and friends during such a challenging period. They also acknowledged the profound impact on the team.
In a heartfelt sentiment shared by Ron Horton, a seasoned teacher from Booker T. Washington, DJ Laster was revered as a remarkable student-athlete who excelled both academically and in sports. Laster was distinguished as one of only two freshmen to secure a spot on the school’s varsity team, remembered fondly for his easy-going nature.
Tragically, accompanying the young players, Wayne Walls, a former teacher and coach, and Ja’mon Gilstrap, a trainer, and driver, also perished in the accident. Gilstrap was driving the SUV.
The sole survivor from this calamity was Braden Walls, son of Wayne Walls. The Kansas Highway Patrol released these details following the accident.
In addition to the basketball team members, Alexander Ernst, the sedan’s driver, and family members Madalyn, John, and Norleen Elliott from Chesterfield, Missouri, also died.
The crash unfolded near Greeley, Kansas, around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday when Gilstrap attempted to overtake a slow-moving vehicle. As both the SUV and sedan tried to avoid the collision by swerving, they ended up on the northbound shoulder, igniting a fire that consumed both vehicles.