( L-R) Carmen Ukele, Marlee Ukele and Stephen Ukele were killed November 25th in a head-on collision on U.S. 75 highway in northern Jackson County .

(KNZA)--A Sabetha native has started an online petition to get ten-thousand signatures to ask for state and federal funding to widen U.S. 75 Highway north of Holton to four lanes.

Janie Murk, who currently lives in Junction City, started the petition after three members of a Sabetha family were killed November 25th in a head-on collision on U.S. 75 in northern Jackson County.

Killed in the crash were 42-year-old Carmen Ukele, 11-year-old Marlee Ukele and 62-year-old Stephen Ukele.  59-year-old Lee Ukele was badly injured in the wreck. 

The family was returning home from Hutchinson after watching the Sabetha Bluejays win the state 3A football championship by defeating Marysville.  Carmen and Lee Ukele's two sons, Tanner and Carson, played on the winning team.       

Murk told The Topeka Capital-Journal she started the petition because she knows the Ukele family and witnessed a near head-on collision earlier the same day the Ukele's were killed as she and her family were traveling on the stretch of highway. 

Others signing the petitions have told Murk that they, too, have witnessed similar incidents or know people who have died in or come close to being involved in a head-on crash on the section of highway.

Murk started the petition December 1st at change.org, and as of Thursday it had garnered more than 88-hundred signatures.

She hopes to send the petition to Governor Sam Brownback, Kansas Transportation officials, state and federal lawmakers and others.