Past UTV crash sparks civil suit in Atchison Co
10/07/2024

(KAIR)--An Atchison County UTV crash last year, that led to this year's termination of three Atchison County first responders, now results in a civil lawsuit filed against four connected to the crash, including one of the three former county employees.

The lawsuit was filed late last month in Atchison County District Court by Hannah Sparks, identified in court documents as a passenger in the UTV, which was operated by Jared Reiff, on September 2, of last year.

Reiff, of Nortonville, is named in the lawsuit, as is former Atchison County Emergency Management Director Wesley Lanter, of rural Atchison County, and Keith Locklin and Michael Lutz, both of Nortonville. The latter three, court documents allege, had involvement in the ownership, or possession, of the UTV, which crashed on a bridge near 250th and Graham Roads, in rural Atchison County. The crash, which happened near Effingham, left Sparks injured and hospitalized with what authorities at the time said were "severe, life threatening injuries." The court documents allege that Reiff, while operating the UTV, was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

Court documents say Sparks is seeking a jury trial to reach a resolution against the accused parties.

Lanter, who had served in his emergency management capacity from late 2010, until his termination in February of this year, was arrested in May following what Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie called "a comprehensive six-month investigation." which led to Lanter's arrest on two felony counts, aid and abet leaving the scene of an accident/failure to report an injury accident resulting in great bodily harm, and interference with law enforcement, as well as a single misdemeanor count of official misconduct.

Five others were also arrested in May, including Lanter's two former employees, Reiff, and one other. It's alleged that Reiff had fled the scene, through the assistance of the former county employees, to avoid arrest for being under the influence at the time of the crash.


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