A Norwegian man, Joachim Lanham, 24, was killed in Kansas after an 82-year-old woman allegedly struck him with her SUV and left the scene. Lanham was on day 22 of his journey from New York to Los Angeles when he was found critically injured in a roadside ditch in Salina on September 5, according to the Wichita Eagle. He was transported to Salina Regional Health Center and later transferred to the intensive care unit at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, where he spent six days in a medically induced coma before succumbing to his injuries on September 11.
Lanham's family reported on his Instagram that his brother Michael was with him, holding his hand during his final moments. The Saline County Sheriff’s Office stated that the driver came forward during the investigation. The woman, who was driving a 2013 Ford Edge SUV, claimed she thought she hit something and returned to check but did not see anything. After returning home, she noticed damage to her vehicle and contacted a friend who accompanied her back to the scene.
Lt. Scott Trembley of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office indicated that the case has been referred to the Saline County Attorney’s Office to determine if charges will be filed against the driver. Just 40 minutes before the incident, Lanham was on the phone with his parents discussing his passion for long-distance rollerblading. On the day of the accident, he shared a video on social media expressing the challenges of rollerblading in the Kansas heat. Earlier in the year, he had skated over 3,665 miles across Australia. His family expressed gratitude for the support received during his adventures and shared a video he recorded shortly before the crash, featuring a butterfly on his foot.