Driver of stolen vehicle killed in south Wichita crash after chase

A man was killed after the stolen Chevrolet Cruze he was driving crashed during a chase Tuesday morning in south Wichita, officials said.

The wreck happened at around 6:23 a.m. near MacArthur and Meridian when the stolen car clipped a 2014 Toyota Corolla, crashed into a utility pole and flipped several times, police said. Donald Tucker Jr., 36, of Chanute was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.

The driver of the Corolla, a 64-year-old person, was taken to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, Nicholson said.

Police were first called about an auto theft at 6:04 a.m. in the 7000 block of West Lockwood, near 55th South and Seneca, and a few miles from the location of the crash.

The vehicle had been left running to warm up when it was stolen, police said. Shortly after the report, an officer saw the Cruze near 55th South and West Street. Police officers tried to stop the car, but Tucker refused. A chase of less than a mile then occurred, ending in the crash.

This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 10:03 AM.