A 27-year-old mother from Augusta is being held in Sedgwick County Jail following an incident where she allegedly struck a pedestrian with her car in east Wichita while under the influence of alcohol. According to the Wichita Police Department, her three young children were in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
The collision occurred at approximately 6:17 p.m. on Monday at the intersection of Lincoln and Rock. The driver was traveling north on Rock Road when her car hit a 21-year-old Wichita woman who was crossing the street at a crosswalk from east to west, police spokesperson Kristopher Gupilan reported.
The pedestrian sustained critical injuries and was transported to the hospital. No one else, including the driver and her children, was hurt in the accident. Authorities are still determining which party had the right-of-way at the time of the incident.
The woman’s three children, ages 7, 4, and 2, were in the 2014 Ford Taurus she was driving. Police say she remained at the scene after the crash and was subsequently arrested. She faces charges of aggravated battery while driving under the influence, three counts of child endangerment, driving with a suspended license, and disobeying a traffic control device.
“Alcohol is believed to have played a role in the collision,” Gupilan stated.
The investigation is ongoing.