Bob Bethell. Photo from kslegislature.orgA report says medical issues likely caused the car crash that killed state Representative Bob Bethell in May. The Republican from Alden died in the crash on the same day lawmakers ended the legislative session. Statehouse reporter Stephen Koranda has more.
Lawmakers had worked long hours through the weekend and ended on a Sunday evening. Just an hour later, Bethell’s car veered off the highway and crashed, killing him. The wreck was about 25 miles west of Topeka. A Highway Patrol report says a heart condition or a problem with his blood glucose levels may have caused Bethell to lose control of the vehicle. The Hutchinson news reports that blood glucose test strips and an insulin pump were found in his car. Bethell was the former mayor of Alden and had served in the Legislature since 1999.