Crime & Courts

Speeding, drunken driver caused crash that killed 80-year-old Wichita woman, cops say

Wichita police say a speeding drunken driver killed an 80-year-old Wichita woman on Memorial Day in the Delano neighborhood.

Frankie Baxter died after Scott Cabrales of Wichita slammed into her 2015 Hyundai Tucson with a 2008 Mazda Six around 4:20 p.m. Monday, Wichita police said in an email. Cabrales, 33, was subsequently booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of aggravated battery, driving under the influence and not having proof of insurance.

Officer Charley Davidson said Baxter had turned from northbound Elizabeth to head east on Maple near Martinson when Cabrales “struck the rear driver’s side of the Hyundai, causing the vehicle to strike the curb and a tree.”

Cabrales was driving eastbound on Maple “at a high rate of speed and (was) believed to be under the influence of alcohol,” Davidson said by email.

The collision left Baxter pinned in her car. She died at the crash site.

Cabrales suffered minor injuries, for which he received treatment at a Wichita hospital, and was later taken to the jail, police said.

Police say their investigation of the crash is ongoing. The department plans to present their findings to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charges at a later date, according to the email.

This story was originally published June 1, 2021 at 10:26 AM.

Amy Renee Leiker
The Wichita Eagle
Amy Renee Leiker has been reporting for The Wichita Eagle since 2010. She covers crime, courts and breaking news and updates the newspaper’s online databases. She’s a mom of three and loves to read in her non-work time. Reach her at 316-268-6644 or at aleiker@wichitaeagle.com.
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