College official killed in collision

A mini van driven by Wayne "Kirt" Ruble rests on the side of the road after the diver was killed with a head-on collision with a semi tractor trailer driven by an Almena, Kan. man. The semi continued into the ditch, and rolled onto its side. Later that day, Dona Henderson of McCook was flown to Kearney with serious injuries after her car missed a corner north of Indianola and rolled, pinning the driver inside.

Mid-Plains Community College Area crisis teams are at work with the death of one college official in a head-on accident north of McCook on Thursday, and the serious injury of another later that afternoon.

Kirt Ruble, 49, was killed when his north bound mini-van drifted into the south bound lane and was in a head on collision with a semi tractor-trailer driven by Harold Dugan Wisdom, 48, of Almena, Kan.

Ruble, who was director of student life for the Mid Plains Community College area, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. The accident occurred at about 12:15 p.m.

In a separate accident at 3:30 p.m., Dr. Dona L. Henderson, 52, of McCook was taken by ambulance to Community Hospital of McCook and then flown to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney after her southbound car left the road 11 miles north and 1.5 miles west of Indianola and hit an embankment.

She was reported in serious condition this morning.

Chuck Salestrom, Mid Plains Area director of public information and marketing, said Ruble's death and Henderson's accident were a shock to "the college family."

He said Loretta Hauxwell, of McCook Community College has become director of the area's crisis team, and was coordinating grief counselors. Otherwise, he said, college operations are proceeding "as normally as we can."

Henderson may have been on a detour because of the earlier accident. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, she did not see a curve in the road lost control of the vehicle, which entered the ditch and struck a dirt embankment.

It rolled once, landing on its top. Indianola rescue crews used extraction equipment to remove the driver from the car.