Driver in deadly hit-and-run crash in Riverside turns himself in to Wichita police

The suspect in a deadly hit-and-run crash has turned himself in to Wichita police.

Emergency crews were called at around 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday to a reported accident near 13th and Payne, in the Riverside neighborhood. A Sedgwick County dispatch supervisor said one patient was pronounced dead and that the case was reported to be a hit-and-run.

Wichita police Capt. Lem Moore said a man in his 50s was crossing the street and hesitated due to oncoming traffic, but decided to proceed. A vehicle came around the corner and hit the man, then left the scene.

The pedestrian lived a few blocks from where the crash happened, Moore said. He has not been publicly identified.

The driver called 911 within an hour and turned himself in to police, Moore said. He said the driver technically could be charged with leaving the scene of an accident, but any decision on criminal charges will be made by the district attorney.

“However, as law enforcement, as we all know, human nature, the totality of every aspect has to be taken into consideration,” Moore said.

Under Kansas law, leaving the scene of a deadly accident where the driver should have known the accident resulted in injury or death is a level five person felony. State sentencing guidelines would call for about four years in prison.

This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 2:12 PM.