Officer injured in Butler County stop sign crash

BUTLER COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper was one of the victims of a crash that happened at a stop sign in Butler County on Wednesday. KHP released photos of the crashed vehicles Friday and said distracted driving was the cause.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says a police officer's vehicle was damaged when a car hit it at a red light on July 3, 2024. (Photo courtesy of KHP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol says a police officer’s vehicle was damaged when a car hit it at a red light on July 3, 2024. (Photo courtesy of KHP)

Officer injured in Butler County stop sign crash — The Kansas Highway Patrol says this vehicle crashed into a police officer’s vehicle on July 3, 2024. (Photo courtesy of KHP)

“It’s no secret that distractions are a major cause of accidents,” KHP posted on Facebook. “Taking your eyes off the road increases your risk of being involved in an accident. Fortunately, everyone involved in this accident was wearing their seat belts and will walk away unharmed. Always remember to turn off all distractions, including GPS, while driving.”

The crash happened shortly before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Southwest 70th and Santa Fe Lake Road.

A KHP lieutenant driving a Dodge Durango stopped at the stop sign at the intersection. KHP says a Hyundai Sonata driven by a 22-year-old Virginia man failed to stop, struck the Durango and pushed it into a Cadillac ATS that was also stopped at the stop sign. Five people were in the Cadillac, including three children.

The KHP accident report does not list any injuries to the other people, only that of the 48-year-old lieutenant. He was taken to a Wichita hospital to be evaluated for a suspected minor injury.