Larry D. Smith, Dawson R. Hogan Obituary, Death: KHP releases names of 8 people killed in March 14 pileup near Goodland involving 71 vehicles.

Larry D. Smith, Dawson R. Hogan Obituary, Death – One month after a devastating multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 70 near Goodland, Kansas Highway Patrol officials have released the names of the eight individuals who lost their lives in the tragic accident. The crash, which occurred on March 14, involved a staggering 71 vehicles and was triggered by blinding conditions during a severe dust storm.

The announcement came on Monday, April 14, marking exactly one month since the fatal pileup. The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) provided the details in an official update posted to their online crash log that morning.

According to the KHP report, the first emergency call came in at approximately 3:22 p.m. on Friday, March 14. The crash occurred on I-70 near Edson, a small community located about nine miles east of Goodland in Sherman County. The area near the Sherman County Road 30 overpass quickly became the epicenter of a series of chain-reaction crashes as high winds and airborne dust severely limited visibility for drivers.

The KHP described the crash as a “multi-vehicle, mass casualty collision.” In total, 71 vehicles were involved, resulting in eight fatalities and injuries to 46 other individuals. The injured were transported to various area hospitals for treatment. Authorities noted that due to the chaotic nature of the pileup and the large number of vehicles involved, investigators are compiling multiple individual collision reports to document the full scope of the event.

The initial investigation estimates that the collisions occurred over a brief 15-minute window, between approximately 3:20 and 3:35 p.m. However, due to what officials called “extreme circumstances,” the precise sequence of events and causes behind each individual collision remain under review.

On Monday, the KHP confirmed the identities of the eight people who died in the crash:

• Larry D. Smith, 72, of Sharon Springs, Kansas, was driving a 2012 Ford F-150 pickup. Authorities stated that Smith was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

• Dawson R. Hogan, 20, of Salina, Kansas, was driving a 2016 Acura TLX sedan. It remains unclear whether he was wearing a seat belt when the collision occurred.

• Baiel Sharshembiev, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was behind the wheel of a 2015 Volvo semi-truck. Seat belt usage for Sharshembiev has not yet been confirmed.

• Carlos S. Arzate, 48, of Shattuck, Oklahoma, was driving a 2024 Ford F-350 pickup truck. KHP officials were unable to determine if he was restrained at the time of impact.

• Manuel Alarcon, 57, of Dodge City, Kansas, was a passenger in Arzate’s pickup truck. His seat belt status is also unknown.

• Stephanie D. Purcell, 61, of Evansville, Indiana, was driving a 2015 Toyota Highlander SUV. Authorities were unable to confirm whether she was using a seat belt.

• Mario Juarez, 31, of Garden City, Kansas, was riding as a passenger in a 2019 Ford F-150 pickup truck. His seat belt status was also not specified.

• Giovanni S. Stefan, 60, of Troy, Michigan, was driving a 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. It remains unclear if he was wearing a seat belt during the crash.

Officials said no additional details were available as of Monday morning. However, the Kansas Highway Patrol emphasized that the investigation remains active. The complexity of the pileup, combined with the intensity of the dust storm and the large number of vehicles, has made the reconstruction and documentation process especially challenging.

The crash has drawn renewed attention to the dangers of severe weather on the open plains, particularly the threat posed by dust storms, which can develop quickly and drastically reduce visibility. Kansas, being a central plains state with open farmland and dry conditions, is particularly vulnerable to such hazards during certain seasons.

As investigators continue working to piece together exactly how the massive pileup unfolded, the families of the victims and the community at large are left grappling with the loss. The KHP extended condolences to the families of those who died and thanked first responders and medical personnel who worked tirelessly amid the chaos to help survivors.

The incident has prompted discussions among transportation officials and lawmakers regarding emergency protocols, driver awareness campaigns, and the potential for improving early-warning systems for weather-related visibility events on highways.

For now, the focus remains on supporting those affected and understanding the full scope of the tragedy. Updates from the Kansas Highway Patrol are expected as additional details from the investigation become available in the coming weeks.