Pottawatomie County deputies are investigating a fatal rollover crash northeast of Wamego that left one teenager dead and two others shaken up early Sunday morning. The incident took place at a remote gravel intersection near Old Post Road and Genn Road.
According to official sheriff reports, eighteen-year-old Harry Costa of Wamego was driving a utility terrain vehicle eastbound on Old Post Road just before 1:00 a.m. As Costa made a sharp turn south onto Genn Road, he lost control of the vehicle.

The sudden jerk threw seventeen-year-old passenger Dylan Higgins from his seat. Emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene around 12:50 a.m., but Higgins died from his injuries before he could be transported to a hospital.
Costa escaped the rollover completely uninjured. A second passenger on board, sixteen-year-old Emily Crocker, received minor bumps and bruises, though paramedics treated her at the scene without needing to take her to an emergency room.
Deputies shut down the dirt crossroads for hours to reconstruct the turn and determine how fast the UTV was moving when it flipped. Utility vehicles are popular in rural Kansas, but sharp turns on loose gravel late at night carry steep risks.
The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the investigation remains active as deputies review the mechanical condition of the UTV and the road surface at Genn Road. No charges have been announced at this time.
News of the crash spread fast through Wamego on Sunday as local families rallied around the teenagers involved. Law enforcement officers urge young drivers in rural areas to use extreme caution when operating off-road rigs after dark.



