Wichita teen grabs wheel from boyfriend, causes car to roll on I-235, trooper says

A car traveling north on I-235 rolled once and landed in the median shortly after noon Wednesday after a Wichita teen sitting in the passenger seat grabbed the steering wheel from her boyfriend.

Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Chad Crittenden said the 17-year-old girl grabbed the wheel in the 2008 Chevrolet Impala because she wanted to exit on West Street and tried to steer the car.

“It’s not a criminal act per se,” Crittenden said, adding that it didn’t seem the teen meant to cause harm. “We have no criminal charges that we will be filing against the passenger.”

The car rolled once before landing on its wheels in the median, facing south. The girl was taken to Wesley Medical Center with minor injuries. The 17-year-old boy driving had minor injuries as well but wasn’t taken to the hospital, the Highway Patrol reported.

This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 1:47 PM.