17-year-old struck, killed on I-35 trying to help victim of previous crash

A 17-year-old was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 35 when he stopped to help the victim of a previous crash.

The Kansas Highway Patrol said Benjamin D. Van Buskirk, 17, of Olathe, was hit by a 2010 Jeep Liberty just before 2 a.m. on I-35 southbound just north of Johnson Drive in Merriam.

The highway patrol said a 2007 Chevrolet Equinox was stalled in the No. 1 lane from an accident.

A 2008 Honda CR-V stopped on the right shoulder. The passenger, Van Buskirk, ran across the highway to render aid to the Equinox.

A Jeep Liberty was traveling southbound in the No. 1 lane and hit the Equinox. It then drifted into lane No. 3 after the crash and struck Van Buskirk.

The driver of the Equinox suffered serious injuries in the crash.

As Van Buskirk was a rising senior at Olathe South High School, the school's principal posted on social media that counselors would be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, July 29. No appointments are necessary.

"Ben was a beloved Falcon and friend to many," wrote Dr. Sean DeMaree, OSHS principal.

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