‘Truly heartbroken.’ Fifth-grader and his mom die in car crash, Kansas district says

An 11-year-old boy and his mom were killed in a crash when their car crossed the center line and struck an oncoming SUV, a Kansas sheriff’s office said.

The Chevy Malibu then turned sideways and was struck by a minivan traveling in the opposite direction, according to a news release from the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities were called to the three-vehicle crash at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 6 in the area of Road C and Highway 50 near Emporia in Lyon County.

Nichole Gibbons, 31, of Wichita, and her son, Terrell Gibbons, of Topeka, were both pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

“We are deeply saddened at the loss of our beloved student who was a friend to many across the Jardine community,” Topeka Public Schools Superintendent Tiffany Anderson said in a statement to KSNT. “Terrell was a loving, joyful scholar who attended many of the basketball games with his family this year to watch older relatives. He will be greatly missed, we are truly heartbroken. This is an unexpected tragic loss impacting us all.”

When students returned to Jardine Elementary on Monday, the district offered a crisis team for those who need support, according to WIBW. Terrell’s classmates also requested everyone wear red in his memory, as it was his favorite color.

The school district did not immediately respond to a request for statement from McClatchy News.

Deputies with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate the fatal crash, according to the news release.

The 49-year-old male driver of the minivan was taken to a hospital by ambulance, officials said, and the two occupants of the SUV were checked for injuries but they refused medical treatment.

Emporia is about 60 miles southwest of Topeka and about 90 miles northeast of Wichita.

This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 2:02 PM with the headline "‘Truly heartbroken.’ Fifth-grader and his mom die in car crash, Kansas district says."