SHAWNEE COUNTY—Tragedy struck in Topeka on Sunday morning when a fatal accident occurred just after 9:30a.m. Topeka Police Lt. Matt Danielson reported that an officer came across a head-on collision involving two vehicles in the westbound lanes of NE River Road, north of the Sardou Bridge.

Both drivers involved in the crash were rushed to local hospitals by American Medical Response for immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, one of the drivers, identified as David Neely, a 76-year-old resident of Lawrence, was in critical condition and tragically succumbed to his injuries.

The Topeka Police Department’s Accident Reconstruction Unit has launched an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the collision to determine the cause of this tragic incident.