Car fire after crash reroutes traffic in North Lawrence

A car fire after a two-vehicle crash briefly rerouted traffic on North Second Street in North Lawrence Monday evening, turning a local collision into a visible emergency response near North Street. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical spokesperson McKenzi Ezell said the call came in at 5:21 p.m., and one of the vehicles caught fire in its engine compartment.

By about 5:30 p.m., firefighters were still on scene near the intersection of North Second Street and North Street. The car was smoking and sitting in the center turn lane while crews worked around it, and Lawrence Police Department officers rerouted traffic on North Second Street to keep vehicles moving past the response.

Seven firefighters responded to the incident. The scene showed how quickly a crash on a busy stretch of North Lawrence can ripple into traffic disruption when fire crews have to secure the area and police have to redirect drivers through the corridor.

The location sits within the North 2nd St/US 59 corridor, which the City of Lawrence describes as a major transportation route in North Lawrence. City corridor study materials say the project is examining traffic flow, safety, sidewalks, bike routes and flood protection, all issues tied to how the road functions in daily life.

That corridor has long carried heavier local pressure than a typical neighborhood street. Lawrence Journal-World reporting from Jan. 8, 2025, said North Second Street in the area has two lanes in each direction with speed limits of 40 to 45 mph. The same reporting noted the Union Pacific underpass in North Lawrence has frequently flooded during rainstorms, another factor that can magnify the impact of any crash or fire near the route.

The city is also actively gathering public input on the corridor’s future. A second open house for the North Lawrence Corridor Study is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, 2026, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Venue 1235, 1235 N. Third St.