K 96

If you hit a deer, you need to report it to authorities so the animal can be removed from the roadway. Wichita police are reminding the public of this after an officer got into an accident because she swerved to miss a dead deer. Around four Sunday morning, the officer was headed to a call.  She was driving eastbound on K-96 near Oliver when she saw a large object on the road.  The object turned out to be a deer which had been hit by another vehicle. The officer swerved to miss the deer, went into the median, struck the cable barrier and then spun out. She wasn't hurt, but the patrol car was badly damaged.

A roadside memorial for a dead teenager contained signs and notes.  Until this weekend, Austin Pollock's memorial also had a decorated Christmas tree on display where he crashed his car - near K-96 and Oliver in Northeast Wichita. For the last two months, signs memorialized the 18 year old who died here.  But on Monday, a new sign joined the others.  "We put up a sign," said Brooke Jefferson, "that says 'Bring Back My Christmas Tree', signed by A.P. " A.P. Stands for Austin Pollock, who died after crashing near the intersection of K-96 and Oliver in northeast Wichita in October.

A Wichita woman is in critical condition after police say she was hit in the head with hammer.  Police have the man they believe to be responsible in custody. It happened shortly before 7:00pm Sunday night at the Garden Pines Apartments, located on the 8100 block of East Harry St. Neighbors called 911 after hearing a loud disturbance coming from one of the apartments.  Officers arrived to find the apartment door open, with a 20 year old woman lying on the floor with severe head trauma.

The Wichita City Council set a public hearing for Feb. 14 on a development planned for K-96 and Greenwich. The Developer GoodSports Enterprises, LLC, wants to build a $50 million multi-sport athletic complex and retail development. The developer wants to use STAR Bonds to pay for the project. The incentive would allow sales tax generated in the area to help pay for the development. The council did not approve the bonds yet, that decision would come after the public hearing. The council set the hearing for Tuesday morning Feb. 14, during the regular city council meeting.

The flames sent neighbors running and the smoke could be seen from the other side of Wichita. Micah Jackman smelled the smoke in his apartment, and then saw the fire outside. "I didn't know what to do, so I just ran out of my apartment, nervous. " Amanda Lenz could hear the sound of wood snapping outside her window. "I kind of heard two separate noises, like wood hitting the floor, and so I just glanced out the window, and I saw flames coming out of the building.

Part of k-96 is shut down for about an hour Wednesday night. Emergency crews worked a four car accident. It happened about nine o'clock on K-96 near Woodlawn. A 911 dispatcher tells eyewitness news that one victim has critical injuries. The roadway reopened around 10:30pm.

Budget cuts are slowing some safety upgrades to K-96. Last year, Eyewitness News told you about a plan to install cables along the four miles of highway from I-135 to Rock Road. The cables are designed to stop vehicles from going through the medians and hitting oncoming traffic. But a smaller KDOT budget has moved that project to February when the state opens up bids. Work could start next spring. --------------------- Original Story, May 20 Cables in the median may have prevented many accidents.

The National Weather Service released a map highlighting the path Saturday's tornado took through Sedgwick County.   It started near west 79th street south and Seneca in Haysville and moved northeast ending around east Central and K-96. Map of Tornado Path While on the ground, the tornado ranged from 1/4 mile to 1 mile wide.  It was 1 mile wide when it hit Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems.  The strongest part of the tornado was an EF3, with winds between 136 to 165 miles an hour.

Wichita police say speed was likely a major factor in an early morning crash that left a motorcyclist dead. The crash was just west of K-96 and Kellogg just after midnight Wednesday. Location of crash Police say 27-year-old James Dolyniuk was riding at a high rate of speed on his motorcycle when a semi pulled out in front of him. The semi driver and a passenger say they didn't see the motorcycle when they first pulled out. Once they started into the intersection, they noticed the motorcycle and tried to speed up to get through the intersection, but it was too late.