She drove drunk into crash scene, killing Andover man. Jury finds her guilty
A Sedgwick County jury has convicted a Wichita woman in connection with a drunken driving crash that killed a 71-year-old man at 13th Street and Greenwich in 2023.
Valerie M. Palace, 44, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the Oct. 24, 2023, death of Billy Lee Wineinger of Andover, and of aggravated battery for injuries another motorist received, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said by email.
She is scheduled for sentencing on June 18 before Sedgwick County District Judge Eric Williams. She pleaded not guilty to the crimes ahead of her trial. Palace’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Monday afternoon.
Authorities have said Palace hit Wineinger with a Toyota 4-Runner as he was standing outside his vehicle, checking damage from a crash that happened at the intersection shortly before he was killed. The intersection was dark because it was nighttime, the traffic lights weren’t working and it was raining, a probable cause affidavit says.
Palace told police she didn’t know that the traffic lights were out and that she was “attempting to get her dog to calm down” when she drove into the crash scene around 10 p.m., a probable cause affidavit says.
But police smelled alcohol on her breath when she spoke, her eyes were bloodshot and watery, she scored poorly on field sobriety tests and she struggled to find and provide an officer with her driver’s license, according to the affidavit.
Blood drawn from Palace about 3 1/2 hours after the collision showed her blood-alcohol concentration was .131. A toxicologist estimated that it was higher when the crash happened, likely somewhere between .164 and .215, the affidavit says. The legal limit to drive in Kansas is .08.
Palace told police she drank one glass of wine before she drove, but security video from the restaurant showed her also drinking an apple martini, the affidavit says.
In a statement after Monday’s verdict, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office thanked the jury for its “time and careful consideration of the evidence presented in this difficult case.”
“Our office remains committed to seeking justice for victims of drunk driving and their families.”
This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 6:00 PM.
