SEDGWICK COUNTY- A Kansas man died in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Saturday in Sedgwick County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Mitsubishi passenger vehicle driven by Damien Ware, 34, Wichita, was south bound on Interstate 235 near MacArthur Road.

The vehicle left the road, entered the median, struck the guardrail, crossed over Interstate 235 to the right shoulder, struck another guardrail and came to rest in the middle of a curve.

The driver of a southbound semi negotiating the curve saw the Mitsubishi but was unable to stop before hitting it.

Ware was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the semi Franklin Jones, 53, Wichita, af was not injured.

Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

The accident closed the interchange in south Wichita for several hours Saturday.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita, Kansas, are investigating after an 18-year-old and two children were wounded when a handgun one of them perhaps was playing with fired.

Police Sgt. Nikki Woodrow says the three victims, including a 12-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy, sustained injuries not considered life-threatening during the shooting about 9 p.m. Friday.

The victims’ medical statuses were not immediately known Saturday.

Police say a 42-year-old man was driving the van when the teenager shot himself in the hand. The 12-year-old was wounded in the leg and the 11-year-old in the hand.

KANSAS CITY -Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help locating a man wanted as a suspect in an attempted murder investigation.

The Jefferson County Colorado Sheriff’s office is coordination with the FBI Denver and Kansas City Field offices and seeking the public’s assistance in locating attempted murder suspect Frank Junior Sanchez, according to a media release.

Sanchez, age 26, who may have traveled from Colorado to Kansas City area.

He is wanted on a warrant out of Jefferson County, Colorado, for his alleged involvement in the attempted murder of a man on February 21, 2017, in Littleton, Colorado. Sanchez allegedly shot a man during the commission of a crime.

Sanchez is described by authorities as a Hispanic male, 5’10” tall and 195lbs. He has black hair, brown eyes, and acne scars on his face.

Law Enforcement believes Sanchez may have contacts in the greater Kansas City area.

Sanchez should be considered armed and dangerous. If you come in contact with him authorities are urging you to call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call (816) 474-TIPS or their local law enforcement agency. Crime Stoppers of Jefferson
County, a non-governmental organization, is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Sanchez.

By STEPHEN KORANDA

A Kansas legislative committee is considering tighter amusement park regulations following the death of a lawmaker’s son last year on the Verrückt water slide in Kansas City, Kan.

The Aug. 7, 2016, death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, son of Rep. Scott Schwab of Olathe, prompted Rep. John Barker to look into the state’s regulations for amusement park rides. Barker is an Abilene Republican who chairs the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, which had a hearing Thursday on new regulations proposed in House Bill 2389.

“It’s the nature of the tragedy,” Barker said. “A young child gets killed at an amusement park, that’s concerning to everyone.”

Barker and other lawmakers didn’t like what they found when they compared Kansas regulations to those in other states.

“We don’t have much of anything right now,” said Rep. John Whitmer, a Wichita Republican. “Kansas is really under-regulated in this industry.”

HB 2389 would set standards for insurance, ride inspections and injury reports and would require annual inspections for stationary rides like the Verrückt. These checks would be performed by inspectors paid by the insurance companies, not the ride owners.

Current state law requires annual inspections for stationary rides, but the ride owners can hire private inspectors.

Whitmer, who has experience in the industry, said legislators face a balancing act when considering new regulations so they don’t put Kansas ride operators at a competitive disadvantage. He wants to see regulations put in place but said he can’t support the bill in its current form.

The bill likely will undergo changes as debate moves forward. The bill requires ride inspections from a licensed engineer or someone with five years of inspection experience. Whitmer said he’ll clarify what types of engineers could perform the inspections.

“If I’m a train engineer, I’m not qualified to inspect a carnival ride,” he said.

The bill also would require a qualified inspection every time a mobile ride is moved and assembled. That sounds like too much to Zachary Wilson, owner of Fun Services of Kansas City, a company that rents mobile rides.

“Are we going to have a qualified inspector on the clock at midnight for a 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. party? That seems a little burdensome,” he said.

Wilson would like to see the bill amended to allow inspections by people with industry safety training and certifications. He said they could be more knowledgeable than engineers.

“Then you put somebody in there that’s familiar with the rides,” Wilson said. “You’re much better off.”

Barker said he doesn’t know if the new regulations could have prevented the death of Caleb Schwab, but he hopes the changes will prevent future injuries.

Barker has worried about the safety of rides when taking his grandson to the county fair, and he believes the changes the bill requires can calm those fears.

“I don’t know if they were inspected or not. After we pass this legislation, I will know that it’s been inspected,” he said.

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for KPR, a partner in the Kansas News Service.

BARTON COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 10p.m. on Friday in Barton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 GMC Sierra driven by Kolton G Nettleingham, 21, Olmitz, was eastbound on NW 140 Road, three miles northwest of Olmitz, driving too fast for conditions.

The driver lost control on sand road, entered the south ditch, and vehicle overturned.
Nettleingham was transported to Clara Barton Hospital.

Three others in the vehicle were not injured.
All four were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.