The names of the victims in a fatal accident Wednesday in McPherson County have been released.

Crash logs show that 29-year-old Miguel Casas of El Monte, California struck a car driven by 73-year old Gerald Mindrup of Windom, Kansas. A passenger in Casas car, 28-year-old Sara Morales of Rosemead, California also died in the crash.

The highway patrol reports that for unknown reasons, Casas crossed the center line and that's when his vehicle struck Mindrups vehicle almost head on.

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The Kansas Highway Patrol says law enforcement attempted to stop a car before it was involved in a crash that killed three people Wednesday morning.

The crash happened at around 8 a.m. on Highway 56 between 4th and Plum avenues in western McPherson County. The driver of an eastbound car was speeding and nearly ran a Rice County deputy off the road. The deputy pursued the vehicle but lost sight of it because of the speed.

"Law enforcement over there (Rice County) was trying to pursue and get up with that vehicle when they discovered the wreck here in McPherson County," Trooper Ben Gardner said.

The eastbound car had collided head-on with a westbound car.

The driver of westbound car and the passenger in the eastbound car died at the scene. The driver of the eastbound car was hospitalized with "significant injuries" and later died, Gardner said.

No names have been released.

The Critical Highway Accident Response Team is investigating the crash. The highway reopened at around 1 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.