Pickup crashes into sorority; driver flown to hospital / LJWorld.com

Archive for Sunday, May 6, 2007

Pickup crashes into sorority; driver flown to hospital

J-W Staff report

May 6, 2007

A truck involved in a high-speed chase through the campus of KU crashed into the Chi Omega sorority early Sunday morning.

During a high-speed chase through the Kansas University campus early this morning, a small pickup crashed into the Chi Omega sorority house, sending a 23-year-old to a Kansas City area hospital.

According to Sgt. Susan Hadl, police were called about 2:30 a.m. today to the 500 block of West 14th street. The caller said that an unknown person had caused damage to a car and was making threats with a knife.

When police arrived, a pickup drove around the police and headed toward the KU campus. Police followed.

The chase ended at the Chi Omega sorority house, when the pickup crashed into the building.

The driver was flown by air ambulance to a Kansas City hospital, but there are no known life-threatening injuries, Hadl said. The driver's identity was not released.

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paladin 7 years, 10 months ago

Like, what a rush! Hardly an acceptable manner to get into a sorority. How rude! It makes the rest of the girls uncomfortable. She'll not be asked to stay.

lori 7 years, 10 months ago

As previously stated, LMH is not a trauma center. Additionally, they do not perform neurosurgery. Anyone with possible neurological issues should be taken to a level III trauma center. The sooner the better. Which is why so many people get flown to KC.

As for your migraine, did they determine that you didn't have a brain bleed by doing a CT? So they addressed your pain, determined you weren't having a stroke and that your life wasn't immediately threatened, and sent you home to see your primary care physician, right? What did you want them to do, have you stay for a couple of days until they figured out what was wrong with you? What would your bill have been like then?

KEITHMILES05 7 years, 10 months ago

It seems ALOT of accident victims in Lawrence are flown to Kansas City. Can't ER docs in Lawernce take care of anything? Don't give me song and dance they are that critically injured.

paladin 7 years, 10 months ago

Here at Chi O, we greatly value both song and dance and engage in those activities enthusiastically and often. We do not, however, appreciate those girls who are uninvited trying to enter in and participate with our sisters in these events. This is frowned on and much discouraged.

BlackVelvet 7 years, 10 months ago

I wouldn't want to be treated at LMH for anything besides a minor injury.

latinlab 7 years, 10 months ago

so uhm...paladin... this fun isn't it? Maybe next time your room will be where the pickup crashes?

paladin 7 years, 10 months ago

That would be sooooo bad! Geez!

jonas 7 years, 10 months ago

latinlab: I'm sure that something that jars the average existence of the average sorority girl without hurting anybody is going to at least have some benefits. I'm sure the house has insurance to pay for the damage, too. And it just took out the living room wall. Not a bedroom.

But damn, do I wish I could have been a fly on the wall there. Haha, chaos!

Mike Blur 7 years, 10 months ago

My heart goe out to the Chi-O women. They were the best during my career as a Lawrence pizza driver.

That being said, ain't there a roundabout at that intersection?

compmd 7 years, 10 months ago

I was at Memorial Drive and West Campus when the chase ended and was on the scene for over an hour. I was heading southbound on West Campus and saw the LPD chase car suddenly stop in front of Chi O. The pickup was going VERY fast (most of us were guessing 90). The driver took out two of the concrete reinforced metal posts that protect the parking department booth, then he drove through two sets of brick and concrete walls before hitting the house and damaging the exterior and breaking a couple sets of windows. The truck was pretty horribly mangled, the front axle was all sorts of screwed up along with the front wheels.

From what I heard from other people at the scene, apparently the guy rear ended another truck in front of the wheel, the occupants of the other truck got out, and this wacko gets out of his truck with a hammer and started threatening them. They tried restraining him. At some point he pulled a knife and threatened to stab people nearby. He also smashed the drivers window of a car in front of The Wheel and threatened the driver. Why all this happened, I don't know. I also can't confirm it, its what I heard from people who were there who were at or worked at The Hawk and The Wheel where this all started.

One of the scariest parts is that there were several people hanging around and swimming in the fountain when this occurred. The way this guy was driving, he came within a few feet of killing them. Its a sobering sight when a girl in her underwear with tear smeared makeup is running around screaming hysterically and unintelligibly.

It took a while to stabilize the guy, because between when they put him in an ambulance and then started driving the ambulance down to the stadium was a good length of time. Also, it was a while between when Lifestar landed and took off for KC.

Believe me, this was ugly. Chaos, probably not though. I applaud the LPD for an excellent job in handling the situation at Chi Omega this morning. I was very impressed how well they handled things, kept their cool, and did their jobs. I want to know what started this whole mess now.

Mike Blur 7 years, 10 months ago

The thing is, compmd, if you read "the phog" like I did a couple people questioned the response time of the LPD during the initial incident. Here's a quote from the phog (NOT from me):

"One thing that really got to me was the response time of the police tonight. Usually there are cops all over 14th ohio area at closing time but the response time from calling 911 to when the first cop got there was at least 5 min. after that cop went to follow the truck it took around 10 min for another cop to show up."

I agree with the phog.net poster. My experience with the 14th street area that time of night, there are cops everywhere.

gerbilsniper 7 years, 10 months ago

i just figured it was one of the chi o girls trying to find a parking spot after a night at the hawk.

paladin 7 years, 10 months ago

"Its a sobering sight when a girl in her underwear with tear smeared makeup is running around screaming hysterically and unintelligibly." Sounds like my former girlfriend might have been there. I used to work at the Wheel and, I must say, nothing like that ever happened on my watch. Other outrageous things, but not that, exactly. One night, a rather locally well known NFL quarterback did throw a barstool through one of the big front windows. I recall, perhaps incorrectly, that the girl he was with that night happened to be sitting on it at the time. Ah, what fun. Great times and many great memories.

May Soo 7 years, 10 months ago

KEITHMILES05, It seems ALOT of accident victims in Lawrence are flown to Kansas City. Can't ER docs in Lawernce take care of anything?

Few years back, a suicidal person with a slashed wrist walked into the LMH ER and was told by ER doc (Dr. X),"You only come to the ER for emergencies." and sent the patient out of the doors. So what does that say about the ER docs?

compmd 7 years, 10 months ago

mike, I was only present for the end of the chase, I have no idea what the initial police response was. my opinion was based upon my direct observation.

and the girl running around screaming was at the fountain, not 14th and ohio.

btw, it couldn't have been a chi o driving the truck, gerbilsniper. as we all know, they are allergic to all vehicles that are not large suvs. :)

llpeth 7 years, 10 months ago

I was there and witnessed the first situation in front of the wheel. In response to the comments about the police's response time, the cops came as soon as they were called. It was 2:30 so the bars had been closed for awhile so the police had no need to still be there until it all went down.

It was one of the craziest things I have ever seen. My car was parked in front of the wheel in the middle of the whole situation. I just wanted to get to my car but when he pulled a knife out we all went back towards the hawk.

I just want to know who he was and what he was on that would make him freak out like that. It was very intense.

doc1 7 years, 10 months ago

I'm guessing that if the suspect was still on scene when the cops got there and starting chasing him that they were there fairly quickly. THen again maybe it did take awhile to get there It was one crazy and busy night all around last night.

tot 7 years, 10 months ago

I went to the LMH ER for a MIGRAINE that made it so I couldn't SEE. I recieved a shot of MORPHINE and was sent on my way to sleep for 2 STRAIGHT DAYS with a tab of over $1000.

Yeah... I'll go there again.

llpeth 7 years, 10 months ago

It all was pretty quick. From the time the two cars bumped into eachother to the time he sped away couldn't have been more than five minutes. It was pretty tame in that area of town, especially by 2:30. Most of the real drunk people were already passed out somewhere by then from drinking all day.

promitida 7 years, 10 months ago

Paladin, your ridiculous "jokes" are just a pathetic hint of your feelings of inadequacy when it comes to sorority girls. No one thinks you're clever.

paladin 7 years, 10 months ago

http://www.ameriyank.com/animation/hrtbeat.gif

smokey 7 years, 10 months ago

LMH is not a trauma center, thats why the seriously injured are routed to area Kansas City hospitals for treatment. The trauma centers are fully staffed 24/7 with every speciality available.

jhawk19 7 years, 10 months ago

The comments that have been posted regarding the women of Chi Omega are unnecessary. What should be focused on is how the police responded to the situation and how the city plans to reduce the number of drunk drivers and underage drinkers in the area. Leave sororities out of the discussion.

paladin 7 years, 10 months ago

http://www.ameriyank.com/animation/banan1.gif

hawklet21 7 years, 10 months ago

but the sorority jokes are just so funny... and true...

Crystal Patterson 7 years, 10 months ago

Paladin, I think you're clever.

OfficeGirl 7 years, 10 months ago

Also, being a privately owned, for profit, business, they do not have to treat anyone who's life is not in danger if they have no insurance. They are only obligated to stabilize anyone who's life is in danger and then will transport them elsewhere, especially if they have no insurance.