8 People Killed in 71-Vehicle Dust Storm Pileup in Kansas Identified – ryan

One month after a multi-vehicle crash in Kansas, the eight people who died have been identified.

On March 14, a dust storm struck in Goodland, causing near-zero visibility on nearby Interstate 70, local NBC affiliate KNSW reported at the time. Due to multiple crashes — including a 71-vehicle pileup — it took over 24 hours to fully reopen the interstate around the area.

According to Kansas Highway Patrolinvestigators “believe the separate collisions occurred between the times of approximately 3:20pm – 3:35pm” local time, but “due to the extreme circumstances the exact sequence of events is currently under investigation.”

Police have now identified the eight victims as Larry Smith, 72, from Sharon Springs, Kansas; Dawson Hogan, 20, from Salina, Kansas; Baiel Sharshembiev, 24, from Philadelphia; Carlos Arzate, 48, from Shattuck, Oklahoma; Manuel Alarcon, 57, from Dodge City; Stephanie Percell, 61, from Evansville, Indiana; Mario Juarez, 31, from Garden City, Kansas; and Giovanni Stefan, 60, from Troy, Michigan.

In addition to the eight people killed in the crash, 46 more people had been injured and were transferred to a hospital, police said in their crash log.

Speaking with KNSW at the time of the crash, one driver said that being in the storm felt “like being on a boat.”

“It’s like hitting a rogue wave. It just rocks the truck,” said Kevin McNamara.

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Given the amount of vehicles involved in the crash, Kansas Highway Patrol is still investigating how the events leading up to and during the crash unfolded.