Larry D. Smith dies in fatal Sherman County shooting/car crash

Larry D. Smith dies in fatal Sherman County shooting/car crash

Fatal Sherman County car crash death of Larry D. Smith – Obituary

Larry D. Smith, a 72-year-old man from Sharon Springs, was one of eight individuals who lost their lives in a devastating chain-reaction crash that occurred on March 14 along Interstate 70 near Edson, about 9 miles east of Goodland, Kansas.

The Kansas Highway Patrol released the identities of the victims a month after the incident, citing the complexity of the 71-vehicle collision, which unfolded during a heavy dust storm around 3:22 p.m. that Friday. The scene near the Sherman County Road 30 overpass became a site of chaos and tragedy as visibility plummeted, contributing to a series of crashes over a short time window between 3:20 and 3:35 p.m.

Authorities confirmed eight fatalities and reported that 46 additional people sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment. The scale and nature of the crash prompted a comprehensive investigation, with officials working to disentangle the separate accidents and sequence of events that led to the mass casualty incident.

Smith, who was behind the wheel of a 2012 Ford F-150, was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. He was among several drivers and passengers fatally injured during the dust storm pileup.

Other victims named in the fatal crash include Dawson R. Hogan, 20, of Salina; Baiel Sharshembiev, 24, of Philadelphia; Carlos S. Arzate, 48, of Shattuck, Oklahoma; Manuel Alarcon, 57, of Dodge City; Stephanie D. Purcell, 61, of Evansville, Indiana; Mario Juarez, 31, of Garden City; and Giovanni S. Stefan, 60, of Troy, Michigan.

Authorities continue to analyze the crash scene and vehicle data to piece together how the sequence of collisions unfolded during the blinding dust storm.