In Fact, He Wasn't Even Aboard The Aircraft

In a bad case of mistaken identity, a Salina, Kansas man was misidentified by the Kansas Highway Patrol as being involved in an accident involving an ultralight aircraft, and having been transported to a Wichita hospital in critical condition.

Fred Leepers says he wants everyone to know he's just fine. The actual pilot of the aircraft, according to the Salina Journal, was 43-year-old Miles Frederick Leeper of Douglass, KS. The accident occured August 6th in Butler County.

Leepers said he was not aware of the mixup because he had been out of town dealing with a family emergency. He said he was quite surprised when he walked into his church August 7th and had people express happiness and relief that he was still alive. His daughter finally filled him in after looking online, telling him "Dad, you were in a plane crash."

Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Gary Warner told the paper "things happen," and said the mixup could have been caused by someone simply typing the wrong letter into a computer generating a report. "I certainly apologize if we caused Mr. Leepers any distress," he said.

FMI: www.kansashighwaypatrol.org