TOPEKA (KSNT) – State troopers have released new information after a deadly semitruck crash in Shawnee County earlier this year.
Documents obtained by 27 News depict the results of a Kansas Highway Patrol investigation into a deadly semi-truck crash that occurred in eastern Shawnee County in January. The crash claimed the life of 58-year-old Anthony L. Shell of Lebanon, Ohio, the driver and only occupant of the semitruck.
State troopers and other first responders were called shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2025 to respond to a reported crash involving a semitruck that collided with a concrete bridge pillar. The semi-truck went off the road near mile-marker 187 just west of the Topeka Service Area in the westbound lanes of I-70, hitting a sign before striking the supports of the Stubbs Road bridge.
A state trooper responding the crash noted a significant amount of debris around the semi and its cab was ripped open in a “V” shape, according to the KHP crash report. No signs of swerving or braking were found in the snow leading up to the crash site. Shell was ejected during the crash and beyond life-saving measures when first responders arrived.
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The KHP report that no adverse weather conditions were present at the time of the crash and that visibility was both clear and unobstructed. However, snow was covering areas off the highway due to a recent winter storm.
(Photo Courtesy/Kansas Highway Patrol)
(Photo by: Gabriel Johnson)
Family of Shell told the KHP that he had been a commercial truck driver for around 30 years and was delivering his first load for the company when he crashed, according to the KHP crash report. His truck contained 22,000 pounds of cargo listed as “polymer modifiers” with the end destination of the trip being in Wichita.
According to the KHP crash report, there was no evidence of drug or alcohol impairment. Shell’s family also told the KHP they had no reason to believe he was suicidal. The ultimate cause of the crash is listed as undetermined.
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