Two people killed, two injured after driver reportedly went over 100 mph, official says

Two people died and an elderly couple were injured in a three-vehicle accident Thursday morning along the Wichita/Haysville border after a driver was reportedly seen going over 100 mph, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Benjamin Blick.

The accident was reported at 9:42 a.m. at 63rd Street South and Southern, which is just east of Seneca.

A 33-year-old Derby man driving a Chevrolet Venture minivan, who a witness reported driving more than 100 mph, was headed west in the eastbound lanes when he hit a 91-year-old Wichita woman driving a Toyota Avalon car head-on, Blick said. Both drivers died at the scene. That area has a 45 mph speed limit.

The minivan then rear-ended a Chevrolet Silverado truck in the westbound lane of 63rd Street South. The 70-year-old woman driving and the 63-year-old man riding in the truck had minor injuries. The couple live in Haysville, Blick said.

“We suspect speed and reckless driving contributed to the collision,” Blick said. “It’s unknown at this time if drugs or alcohol contributed.”

Blick, in a phone interview, said the accident happened just after the Derby man crossed over the railroad tracks and that would have obstructed visibility on the other side. All three vehicles came to rest in the south ditch, with the minivan ending up on its side next to the pickup, Blick said.

This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 11:05 AM.