Story updated at 1:55 p.m. Saturday, July 24:
Two 23-year-old men died as the result of a head-on crash on Interstate 35 in Johnson County early Saturday, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Robert D. Mangelsdorf Jr., of Tonganoxie, was northbound in the northbound lanes of I-35 near Lamar Avenue in Mission around 3:20 a.m. Saturday, according to a KHP crash report.
Sam E. Wilson, of Greenwood, Missouri, was southbound in the northbound lanes, and their vehicles — both trucks, according to the report — collided head-on.
The report indicates that Mangelsdorf was taken to the University of Kansas hospital but died from his injuries. Wilson died at the scene of the crash, according to the report.
Both men were wearing seat belts, the report says.
“Robby,” as Mangelsdorf was known, worked for GoMobile Tires KC. In just a year with the company, he had “hundreds” of 5-star reviews that mentioned him by name, which “show what an impact he had on everyone he came in contact with,” the business posted to Facebook on Saturday.
“This kid would give you the shirt off his back, he would meet you at any hour to help you, and he worked his butt off every single day,” the shop wrote in a Facebook post Saturday. “He always had a smile and an energy drink, and even on the hottest days, while covered in sweat at a racetrack mounting tire after tire he would still look back and smile, shrug his shoulders and keep working to make sure everyone had what they needed to make their cars track ready.”
More public safety news:
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times
