Victims Identified in Fatal Franklin County Head-On Collision

FRANKLIN COUNTY, KS – Authorities have released the names of the individuals killed in a devastating head-on collision that occurred Sunday evening in Franklin County. The crash, which happened just after 5:30 p.m. on U.S. 169 highway, just northeast of Virginia Road, claimed the lives of seven people and left one teenager injured.

According to a report from the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), a 2016 GMC Yukon, driven by James D. Gilstrap, 33, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was traveling southbound on U.S. 169. The KHP stated that Gilstrap attempted to pass a slower vehicle in the southbound lane and entered the northbound lanes. The Yukon then collided head-on with a northbound 2016 Subaru Legacy, driven by Alexander R. Ernst, 37, of Ames, Iowa. Both vehicles caught fire following the impact.

Tragically, Gilstrap and three passengers in the Yukon – Wayne T. Walls, 41, of Talala, Oklahoma, and two 14-year-old boys from Tulsa – were pronounced dead at the scene. A 15-year-old boy from Talala, Oklahoma, who was also a passenger in the Yukon, was transported by EMS to Overland Park Regional Medical Center for treatment.

The driver of the Subaru, Alexander R. Ernst, and his three passengers – John D. Elliott, 76; Madalyn N. Elliott, 33; and Norleen L. Elliott, 69, all from Chesterfield, Missouri – also died at the scene. The KHP reported that all occupants of the Subaru were properly restrained.

The tragedy has deeply impacted the Tulsa Public Schools community, as the district confirmed on Monday that three of the deceased had ties to their schools. Donald “DJ” Laster, a 14-year-old student at Booker T. Washington High School, was one of the teenagers killed in the Yukon. Wayne Walls was a former coach and teacher at Carver Middle School, and Ja’mon Gilstrap was a valued member of the Tulsa Public Schools’ transportation team.

The collision resulted in the closure of a section of U.S. 169 for approximately four hours. Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Jodi Clary indicated that authorities were still actively working at the crash site on Monday evening. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.