Trooper wipes away tears after woman dies in icy crash

GOODLAND, Kan. – A state trooper wiped away tears after a woman died in a crash on an icy stretch of Interstate 70 in Kansas.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says 19-year-old Ashlen Leigh Lemon died Tuesday when she lost control of her car because of icy road conditions, hit the median and struck a guardrail.

Trooper Ben Gardner posted a video on Twitter as he wiped tears from his face and said, “It’s devastating.”

The trooper asked motorists to consider their safety during inclement weather. He later asked people to focus on Lemon’s family.

A winter storm carrying ice, snow and high winds moved east across Kansas Tuesday, forcing officials to close a stretch of I-70 because of icy conditions and numerous accidents.