Suspects identified in crash: Wichita musician injured, mother and niece killed

At a Monday afternoon media briefing, the Wichita Police Department provided a step-by-step review of Sunday's fatal crash near downtown Wichita that left two people dead and four more injured.

The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating the crash that began with a report of a stolen SUV and an attempt by a WPD officer to stop that vehicle.

At about 1:50 p.m. police say a WPD officer was traveling north on Broadway in a vehicle equipped with a License Plate Reader. Near the 1100 block of North Broadway, the reader identified a stolen BMW occupied by a 24-year-old woman driver and a 38-year-old man as a passenger.

Police say the officer turned around, drove south on Broadway, confirmed the identified stolen SUV -- a 2001 BMW X5 -- and advised other officers.

The woman driving the stolen SUV continued south on Broadway, turning east on 9th Street and then south in an alley. She then began to park on the south side of the Interdale Apartments in the 900 block of North Broadway.

At this point, the officer was close to the stolen SUV and activated emergency lights in an attempt to stop it.

"The suspect then fled west out of the private drive and turned south on Broadway at a high rate of speed," police say. "The WPD officer waited for southbound traffic to clear, turned south, activated his siren and attempted to catch the suspect, which was then passing Murdock."

About two and one-half blocks from Douglas and Broadway, the officer observed the stolen BMW involved in a three-vehicle wreck, police say.

"The investigation revealed the BMW collided into a 1998 tan Toyota, driven by 70-year-old Maria Wood; other occupants in the Toyota were a 36-year-old female front passenger (Jennifer Wood) and (12-year-old Rosemary) McElroy, who was a rear passenger. The Toyota was eastbound on Douglas through a green light when it was struck by the BMW, causing fatal injuries to Wood and McElroy and critical injuries to t(Wood)," police say. The BMW also struck a 2006 blue Chevy HHR stopped northbound at Douglas, causing non-life-threatening injuries to a 65-year-old male driver."

The two people identified as suspects in the stolen vehicle were suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police say.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol online crash log, 24-year-old Mia Collins was the driver and 38-year-old Christopher English was the passenger.

Factfinder 12 found both have a criminal past.

Court documents show Collins was on probation for felony theft of a firearm and car. The car theft charge was dropped as a part of a plea deal. A warrant was issued for her in April for failure to check-in.

We did not find any current cases on English, he felony convictions for possession of weapons and drugs. He also had a flee and elude charge from 2017.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office.

"After the completion of criminal proceedings, there will be an internal review," police say.

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The Kansas Highway Patrol has identified all those involved in a crash Sunday afternoon.

According to the online crash log, 70-year-old Maria Wood and 12-year-old Rosemary McElroy died in the crash.

KHP says a 2001 BMW was fleeing from Wichita Police on southbound Broadway when it struck the driver's side of a 1998 Toyota car at the intersection of Douglas Ave. The Toyota then spun out and struck a 2006 Chevy car.

Maria Wood, Rosemary McElroy and 36-year-old Jennifer Wood were inside the Toyota. Marie and Rosemary died in the crash. Jennifer was taken to Ascension Vis Christi St. Francis where she remains in critical condition.

Mia Collins, 24, who was driving the BMW, and 38-year-old Christopher English, who was a passenger in the car, were both taken to Wesley Medical Center with "suspected serious injuries," the crash log says.

The driver of the third vehicle was also taken to Wesley for treatment.

At this time, Wichita Police are not calling the incident a chase. They say the officer turned on lights and sirens to catch up with the BMW prior to the deadly crash.

We hope to learn more about this incident during a police briefing Monday afternoon. Expect live coverage on the KWCH-12 app.

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A woman and a child have died, and four others were seriously injured after a crash Sunday afternoon in downtown Wichita.

Officers spotted a stolen BMW SUV just before 2 p.m. in the 1100 block block of N. Broadway.

Police attempted to catch up to the vehicle with activated lights and sirens but the driver took off southbound on Broadway.

The SUV gained distance and then collided with a Toyota Camry that was traveling east on Douglas. There was a third vehicle that was also struck at the intersection.

The driver of the Toyota Camry, a 70-year-old woman and a rear 12-year-old girl passenger were killed in the collision. There was a front seat passenger who was also critically injured and remains hospitalized.The 65-year-old male driver of a third vehicle, a blue Chevy HHR, was also taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Two suspects are also being treated for injuries.

Police have blocked Douglas at Topeka and Market. Broadway is blocked at William and 1st St. Drivers are urged to find an alternate route.