Web posted
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Teen dies in Chestnut accident
View pictures from the accident
From STAFF REPORTS
A teenager involved in the accident on East Chestnut Avenue Monday morning was pronounced dead at the South Central Kansas Regional Medical Center shortly after the one-vehicle crash.
Police identified the victim as Jose Sigala, 19, of Arkansas City. Sigala was the driver. Based on initial findings, officials suspect he was intoxicated. They have ordered an autopsy to learn more, Wallace said.
The other occupant, Leobrado Navarro, 26, of Arkansas City was flown by helicopter to a Wichita hospital. Police Chief Sean Wallace said Wednesday that Navarro was reportedly improving.
The crash occurred about 9:30 a.m. when emergency officials were called to a car on fire.
Before that, however, someone spotted the vehicle, a 1987 Mustang doing donuts at Kansas Avenue and the U.S. 77 Bypass, Wallace said. An Ark City patrol officer went to that location and passed the car, which was headed south. The officer was heading north and clocked the car at a high rate of speed. The officer turned and followed, Wallace said.
When the police car came upon the scene, the car was in flames. The victims had been ejected from the car, but the officer could not reach them because of the flames, Wallace said.
Wallace said Wednesday that investigators had pieced together how the car crashed. Evidence suggests the car was moving at about 80 mph, or faster, and tried to pass another car, as it headed toward the underpass.
The driver lost control, causing the car to spin backward. It struck a curb, went airborne, struck a concrete pylon, slammed into a retaining wall on the south side of the roadway, and then ran into the concrete edge of the underpass. That's probably went it ignited on fire, Wallace said.
The car was knocked back into the roadway to its final resting place, which is probably when the passengers were ejected, Wallace said.
Police are asking that witnesses in a dark colored truck that was driving at the underpass at the time of the accident contact police: 441-4444.
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