Wichita police officer injured investigating possible DUI crashes on Kellogg

Published: Dec. 12, 2019 at 5:07 AM CST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn
Update:

Wichita police say an officer suffered minor injuries while working not one - but two DUI crashes on Kellogg Thursday morning.

Police say around 3:40 a.m., two officers were on eastbound Kellogg, just west of the Central Business District, investigating a crash involving a possible drunk driver.

One of the officers was seated inside a patrol vehicle and emergency lights were activated as they were blocking the far right lane of the highway due to the crash.

A 2013 silver Ford Focus, driven by a 30-year-old woman struck the rear corner of the patrol vehicle at approximately 60 miles per hour, causing it to spin.

The officer only suffered minor injuries, but the patrol vehicle was totaled.

Officers believe alcohol to be a factor in the crash.

Wichita police are asking people to not drink and drive.

Jacqueline Cook Green is the executive director for the DUI Victims Center. She says the bigger responsibility is to one another.

"So, hold each other accountable," she said. "Think about losing that person or having to walk through the grief of an injury they’ve caused someone else with them. Just think about how precious that human life is and be assertive. Don’t be afraid to call people out and say 'you’re behavior is endangering people in our community.' Hold people accountable and hold yourself accountable."

Green suggests using rideshare programs and planning ahead if you are out drinking.

"There’s just so many things. We have public transportation even. Have a friend drive. There’s no excuse, there’s absolutely no excuse for taking that risk. And you’re taking the risk for someone else too," she said.

The Wichita Police Department says it has made 959 DUI arrests so far in 2019, that's compared to 878 arrests the previous year.

-----

Eastbound lanes of Kellogg are closed from Seneca to Washington after a crash Thursday morning.

Sedgwick County dispatchers say the crash happened just before 2:30 a.m. at Broadway.

Dispatchers say one person was taken to the hospital with potentially serious injuries.

Eyewitness News has a reporter on the scene monitoring traffic for your morning commute. Stay tuned for updates on Eyewitness News This Morning and on the KWCH 12 app.