OGDEN, KS — A woman was left in critical condition Friday night after she jumped from a bridge in Riley County to get out of the path of a swerving vehicle during a crash on K-18. Police said the woman was standing on the shoulder when the chain of events unfolded near the East Riley Avenue off-ramp in Ogden.
Riley County Police say emergency responders were called at 8:44 p.m. to a four-vehicle crash on Highway K-18. Witnesses told officers that the woman jumped from the bridge to avoid being struck as a vehicle swerved to miss debris in the roadway. She fell about 70 feet and suffered major injuries.
Crash on K-18 drew multiple agencies to the scene
The crash involved four vehicles, according to Riley County Police. Officers and emergency crews worked the scene after the initial call, and responders first had to locate the injured woman below the bridge.
Police said EMS and fire personnel searched for the patient and gave aid before the Manhattan Fire Department was brought in to help. The rescue required high-angle equipment to lift the woman from the area under the bridge, showing how difficult the recovery effort became once she fell.
No other injuries were reported in the wreck, police said.
High-angle rescue was needed to reach the woman below the bridge
Manhattan Fire Department crews used high-angle rescue gear to remove the woman from below the bridge after the fall. That work came after emergency responders had already been searching the area and providing medical care on scene.
Battalion Chief Keith Habbart said the fire department appreciated the cooperation among the agencies involved. He said the speed, teamwork, and professionalism of the responders helped make sure the patient could be rescued and taken for additional care.
The rescue scene underscored how quickly a roadway crash can become a hazardous recovery operation when debris, traffic, and a fall from height are all involved at once.
Woman was taken from a local hospital to Topeka for more care
After being lifted from the area below the bridge, the woman was taken to a local hospital. Police later said she was transferred to Topeka in critical condition for additional treatment.
Officials did not immediately release her name. They also did not say what caused the vehicles to crash or whether weather, speed, or other factors played a role in the wreck.
The sequence reported by witnesses and police suggests the woman was trying to avoid a second impact when she jumped from the bridge, but investigators have not provided any further details about the moments leading up to the crash.
K-18 reopened late Friday after the wreck and rescue operation
Highway K-18 reopened at about 11:35 p.m., police said. That reopening came after responders finished the crash investigation and the rescue effort at the bridge.
The nearby Union Pacific Railroad line was also shut down briefly while crews searched for the woman. Police said that closure lasted from about 9:20 p.m. to 10 p.m., adding another layer of disruption around the scene.
Even after the roadway reopened, the night’s response had already required traffic control, rescue coordination, and extended work in the area near the bridge and rail line.
Dense fog advisory added to the travel risks in parts of Kansas
Separately, weather alerts in Kansas warned of dense fog early Sunday morning across parts of the state, with visibility possibly dropping to a quarter mile or less. The advisory covered multiple counties in western and central Kansas, according to weather officials.
Drivers were advised to slow down, use headlights, and leave extra space between vehicles. The warning highlighted the kind of low-visibility conditions that can make already dangerous road travel even harder, especially on rural highways and open stretches.
While the fog advisory was not tied to the Friday night crash, it served as another reminder that motorists in the region were being asked to watch for rapidly changing travel conditions.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
