Columbus, NE (August 25, 2026) – A woman and two children suffered minor injuries Sunday afternoon, August 23, in a two-vehicle crash on US 81 north of Columbus. The accident occurred about 4.5 miles north of the city and shut down the highway for several hours.
A Toyota Sienna driven by 57-year-old Judy Scdoris of Lincoln was traveling southbound on US 81 when she lost control. The Sienna entered the west ditch, then crossed both southbound lanes and the center median. The Toyota continued into the northbound lanes and struck a flatbed semi-trailer.
The trailer was being pulled by a Freightliner semi-tractor driven by 33-year-old Vlatko Jovanovski of Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Scdoris and two children in the Sienna suffered minor injuries. The available report does not provide additional information about their medical treatment. We are thinking of those injured.
What Can Cause a Vehicle to Leave Its Lane on a Highway?
A vehicle can leave its lane for several reasons, including a loss of control, sudden steering, roadway conditions, or driver error. Once a vehicle enters another lane, the risk of striking oncoming traffic can increase, especially on roads with opposing lanes close together.
The type and size of the vehicles involved can also affect the outcome of a crash. A passenger vehicle and a large commercial truck have significant differences in weight and structure. These differences can influence vehicle damage and the forces involved during an impact.
Roadway design can also affect how vehicles move after leaving their lane. Ditches, medians, shoulders, and opposing traffic lanes may change the direction of a vehicle before another impact occurs. Vehicle damage and roadway conditions can help provide a clearer picture of what happened.
