Work zone wreck involves boxtruck, pickup & tractor, injures Kidder man

An inattentive driver struck a pickup and a tractor in a work zone early Monday morning.
A Kidder man received minor injuries in the accident that happened at about 7:10 a.m. on April 27 in Clinton County, at the south city limit of Lathrop.
According to the highway patrol, the crash occurred as Jeremiah Watts, 44, Harrisonville, was driving a 2018 Kenworth box truck southbound on I-35. He entered a work zone where traffic was slowed.
Watts, due to inattention, failed to slow, and struck the rear of a 2016 Dodge Ram, driven by Jacob Closterman, 30, Kidder. Closterman’s vehicle slid off the west side of the roadway and came to rest in a ditch on its wheels, facing southwest.
After striking the truck, Watts ran into the median off the east side of the roadway, came back onto the southbound roadway, and struck the front end of a 2015 International tractor driven by Kelly Blake, 54, Muscatine, IA. Blake’s tractor came to a controlled stop in the driving lane.
After striking the tractor, Watts vehicle went off the west side of the roadway and came to rest on its wheels, facing southwest.
Closterman was taken by Tri County Ambulance to North Kansas City Hospital with minor injuries. He was wearing his seat belt.
The box truck had extensive damage, the pickup was totaled, and the tractor had minor damage.
The accident was investigated by Cpl. D.A. Landi, assisted by Tpr. J.J.Thompson, Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, and Lathrop Fire and Rescue.