A Kansas Highway Patrol accident report suggests a southbound driver made a U-turn while remaining in the southbound lanes before he was killed in a head-on, wrong-way collision early April 29 on the Kansas Turnpike southwest of Topeka.

Michael Goering 72, died at the scene, according to an accident report The Capital-Journal paid $7.21 to acquire Thursday from the Kansas Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred in an area where local leaders are seeking to raise money to finance the construction of a Turnpike interchange at Auburn.

Goering was hospitalized for a mini-stroke before being released about 3 p.m. April 28 from a Topeka hospital, the accident report said.

It said video showed Goering’s 2015 Mercedes SUV entered the Turnpike going southbound at 12:43 a.m. April 29 at its South Topeka interchange.

Goering’s SUV was then going northbound in the southbound lane about 12 minutes later when it became involved in a head-on collision with a semi-trailer, which was southbound on the Turnpike, the accident report said.

The crash occurred about nine miles southwest of Topeka, near Auburn, it said.

Neither occupant of the semi was hurt, the report said. It identified the driver and passenger as Harsh Batish, 22, and Tarandeep Singh, 25, both of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

A triple-fatality crash, which authorities say involved a U-turn, occurred in October 2022 on the Turnpike in the Auburn area. Amber Peery, of Topeka, was driving one of three vehicles in a caravan headed to a Girl Scout event in Tonganoxie when the drivers realized they were going the wrong way on the Turnpike.

With no exits for 30 miles, they attempted illegal U-turns through openings in the barrier wall. Two drivers made it through. But when Peery attempted the maneuver, a semi struck the left rear section of her her SUV. Three girls died, including one of Peery’s daughters.

Peery now faces three counts of involuntary manslaughter plus other chargers, with a five-day jury trial scheduled to start July 8 in Shawnee County District Court.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: U-turn may have preceded fatal Turnpike crash southwest of Topeka