Wichita woman arrested, accused of attempted murder in eight-vehicle crash: official

A 27-year-old Wichita woman has been arrested in connection with an October accident involving eight vehicles that sent seven people to the hospital, including her 5-year-old daughter, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Nathan Gibbs said Friday.

Paloma Bella Adame was arrested Thursday on suspicion of 11 counts of aggravated battery and one count of attempted second-degree murder related to her daughter, who was not properly restrained when Adame weaved in and out of traffic while speeding, according to Gibbs and the accident report.

Adame flipped her vehicle during the eight-vehicle crash. She is suspected of driving under the influence, Gibbs said.

Officers had been waiting on hospital documents and the results of Adame’s blood work before making the arrest, Gibbs said.

The accident happened around 3:53 p.m. Oct. 23 at 143rd Street East and U.S. 54, which is in east Wichita near Andover. Adame was headed east on U.S. 54 in a Kia Sportage, Gibbs said, and all the accidents happened within one-tenth of a mile.

Adame went into one lane and hit a vehicle, then went “back into her lane” and hit another, the accident report says. She then hit another vehicle when “going into other lane” which caused that vehicle to rear-end a vehicle that rear-ended another, the report says. She then went “back into other lane” and struck another vehicle, causing that vehicle to rear-end another, the report says.

Adame and her daughter were among the seven people taken to the hospital.

She has not been charged in the case.

This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 12:10 PM.