Jan 26, 2023

Driver who fled from police dies from injuries in Kan. crash

Posted Jan 26, 2023 9:30 PM
First responders at the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KWCH
First responders at the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KWCH

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash after a driver fled from police.

On Thursday morning, police were in the area of Hydraulic and Wassal in Wichita following up on information regarding a vehicle that had been involved in several larcenies in the Wichita area, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

An officer spotted the suspect vehicle and witnessed it commit a traffic violation at Washington and Wassal. The officer followed the vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop at Pawnee and Washington.

The suspect immediately accelerated away from the officer going left of the center line northbound on Washington.

The officer initiated a pursuit that was quickly terminated. After the termination of the pursuit, the suspect continued northbound on Washington at a high rate of speed.

Just north of Funston, the suspect vehicle attempted to pass another vehicle on the right. The suspect lost control of the vehicle when sideswiped the vehicle he attempted to pass.

The suspect vehicle overturned and came to rest in the 1700 block of S. Washington, according to Macy.

The driver ran from the vehicle, then collapsed behind a truck nearby. He was transported by EMS to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased, according to Macy.

A passenger was also in the suspect vehicle – he was seen on scene by EMS but refused treatment. The driver of the civilian vehicle that was struck was uninjured.

Police requested the Kansas Highway Patrol to take over the accident investigation for accountability and transparency purposes.