25 January 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Residents near two Sedgwick County intersections are asking for something to be done to prevent crashes.
Wednesday afternoon, they got some answers. Sedgwick County Commissioner David Dennis, Commissioner Jim Howell and representatives from Sedgwick County Public Works, along with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, held a news conference about the intersections — 21st Street North and 167th Street West, west of Wichita, and 79th Street South and Greenwich Road, east of Derby.
KSN News will update this story with details from the news conference. In the meantime, feel free to watch the video above.
Dennis represents District 3, where the intersection of 21st Street and 167th Street is located. Howell represents District 5, where the intersection of 79th Street South and Greenwich Road is located.
167th West and 21st North
On Wednesday, a concerned resident emailed KSN News about the 167th and 21st location. She said she and her neighbors believe a stoplight would prevent more deaths and injuries there, but they have been battling Sedgwick County Commissioners to get one installed.
On Tuesday morning, the intersection of 21st Street and 167th Street was the site of a crash involving several vehicles. KSN received a video of the crash, however, the injuries weren’t serious.
Over the last few years, the intersection of 167th and 21st Street has been in the spotlight. Off-duty Wichita Police Department Officer Stacey Woodson was killed after being hit by a drunk driver in April 2018. His son, Braeden, later died at the hospital from injuries in the crash. Shortly after, in 2018, a study was commissioned and showed no changes were recommended at the intersection. There are stop signs and a flashing light on 167th to let traffic know to stop.
Goddard teenager Conner J. Richuber was killed in a crash in November 2018 on 21st Street near 167th Street.
79th South and Greenwich
Residents east of Derby believe the County should do something about the corner of 79th South and Greenwich. There was a crash there this week with unknown injuries.
In the Derby, KS Chatter Facebook group, a woman said she almost lost her husband there in December.
Commissioner Howell responded to the comments with some data. He said there were five injury crashes at the corner in 2022 and one on Monday night. He said that he thinks the accident frequency has increased, and he will ask for a new traffic study for the intersection.
Howell pointed to some improvements that were made in 2015, the same year a woman died near the intersection. He said the stop signs are the maximum size, there is a flashing red beacon, and signs warn drivers before they get to the intersection that “cross traffic does not stop.”
KSN News will be at the press conference Wednesday afternoon and provide updates on this story on KSN and KSN.com.