Vehicle crashes into Blue Springs home

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

Earlier this week, a Blue Springs woman was sent to the hospital with serious injuries after losing control of her van and slamming into a house.
The accident occurred in the afternoon hours of Tuesday, March 25. Cindy L. Burton, 38, was driving northbound on Fifth Street in Blue Springs when she lost control of her van, ran through a T-intersection and smashed into a home at 421 Keystone Drive.
Nobody was in the home at the time of the crash and Burton, who was alone in the vehicle, was the only person injured in the incident, according to Jeremy Dickstein, officer in the investigations unit of the Blue Springs Police Department.
Dickstein said it's unknown what caused Burton to lose control of her vehicle. However, he said Burton's husband told police Cindy Burton has had medical issues in the past that caused her to have seizures. Dickstein said it's possible Burton had a seizure while driving, causing her to lose control.
"We're not ruling that out as a possibility," he said.
Burton's van ran into the siding and brick veneer of the home, which reportedly sits at the bottom of a hill. Brian and Dena Rinehart live in the home that was struck, however they could not be reached by the Journal as of press time.
Dena Rinehart told a local television news station Tuesday's incident was the first time a vehicle has came in contact with their home.
"We've never had any problems," Rinehart said, according to KCTV 5's Web site, "(but) the people next door, not even a month ago, had a car go into a tree. They come down the hill pretty fast."
Details of the extent of the damage to the home were not available as of press time. Police also aren't sure how fast Burton's van was traveling when it hit the home.Dickstein said police are treating the incident as a traffic accident and not a criminal offense. Burton was flown by helicopter to an area hospital after the crash.