Wichita radio personality, Shocker basketball announcer Don Hall killed in car accident
Longtime Wichita radio DJ Don Hall was killed early Wednesday morning in a car accident at Kellogg and Rock.
Police have arrested 43-year-old Ray Watkins of Wichita on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the accident, said Officer Charley Davidson of the Wichita Police Department. Alcohol and drugs are believed to be factor, he said.
Officers responded to the accident at 4:20 a.m., where they found Hall in critical condition, pinned in his vehicle. He had to be removed from the car by the Wichita Fire Department and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hall, 70, has been in radio for 45 years and was the host of KEYN’s morning radio show with Barbara Baan. He also was the public address announcer for Shocker basketball games at Wichita State University.
Jack Oliver, the program director at Entercom and a longtime friend of Hall’s, said that when he didn’t arrive for work early Wednesday morning, the staff became concerned. Hall’s co-host Baan called Oliver expressing worry, especially since KNSS radio was reporting that a fatal accident had happened on Hall’s route into the station.
Baan drove to the scene of the accident and saw Hall’s car, he said.
Oliver said he will miss his friend, who loved to help people through his position at the station. He also loved to play golf and ride his motorcycle.
One of Hall’s greatest joys in life was announcing the Shocker basketball games, and he was good at it, Oliver said. He’d had the job for 36 years and had missed only two home games during that time.
“When you talk about arena announcers, that’s a skill,” he said. “There are people who are really great at it and there are others that are okay. He was just great.”
Social media was filled on Wednesday with tributes to Hall from former co-workers, friends and fans. Former Shocker basketball star Ron Baker tweeted about Hall, calling him “a very humble individual who was always fun to talk to.”
On Wednesday morning, WSU Athletic Director Darron Boatright shared a statement on goshockers.com sharing the news of Hall’s death.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of longtime men’s basketball public address announcer Don Hall,” the statement read. “He was a special person in Shocker Athletics and brought a lot of joy to our fans and student-athletes during our events. He was a proud veteran and enjoyed being an American Legion and Kansas Patriot Guard rider. Wichita State Athletics and the Wichita community will miss Don greatly.”
Hall was married to Linda “Fluffy” Hall and had one son, who lives in Louisiana. He’s also survived by his mother.
He’s been on the air in Wichita since 1974 and has had stints on many local radio stations including KKRD, KZSN and KEYN. He was a regular on the Wichita charity scene, and he was an American Legion rider who rode with the Patriot Guard.
Hall was born in Overland Park and earned a business degree from Pittsburg State University in 1971. He played golf in college and was still a golf enthusiast, friends say.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, Davidson said, and the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 8:46 AM.
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