Fatal car crashes in Wichita, Kansas
From 2020 through 2024, 232 people died in 220 crashes on streets and highways inside Wichita, Kansas.
That is 11.6 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the Kansas rate of 13.4 and about the same as the US rate of 12.1.
US-54 (E Kellogg Dr) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 15, killing 16.
Hit-and-runs made up 14% of fatal crashes here, against 5% statewide.
In 2024, 42 people were killed, 12% fewer than in 2020 (48).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 400,991 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (220 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Kansas 13.4, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 21% of all deaths here
of fatal crashes involved a driver police reported as drinking
Where the fatal crashes happened
Each dot is one crash that killed at least one person, placed at the coordinates in the police report. The outline is Sedgwick County; the dots are crashes inside Wichita city limits.
The deadliest roads in Wichita
US-54 (E Kellogg Dr) leads with 15 fatal crashes in five years. Roads are counted by the name in the crash report; a highway's frontage roads and ramps count toward it.
| # | Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US-54 E Kellogg Dr | 15 | 16 |
| 2 | I-235 Fwy | 11 | 12 |
| 3 | I-135 | 10 | 11 |
| 4 | N Rock Rd | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | S Seneca St | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | SR-42 | 4 | 5 |
| 7 | I-35 Ks Tpk | 4 | 4 |
| 8 | S Broadway Ave | 4 | 4 |
| 9 | S Oliver Ave | 4 | 4 |
| 10 | S Meridian Ave | 3 | 5 |
Deaths by year
When crashes turn deadly
56% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 9 pm to 10 pm.
Saturday had the most fatal crashes (51), and 40% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, September was the worst (26 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Wichita, next to Kansas and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Wichita | Share | Kansas | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 77 | 35% | 22% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 51 | 23% | 25% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 13 | 6% | 19% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 31 | 14% | 5% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 48 | 21% | 10% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 55 | 24% | 13% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 9 | 4% | 1% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 15 | 6% | 8% | 7% |
After a crash in Wichita
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Get the crash report
Statewide copies come from Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) Records Department, General Headquarters, Topeka, cost $5.00 per crash report; $2.00 per witness statement.
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Know your deadline
Kansas gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-513(a)(4)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Before suing a city, county or other municipality (or its employee) under the Kansas Tort Claims Act you must file a written notice of claim with its clerk or governing body, and you cannot sue until the claim is denied or 120 days pass (the 120 days is a waiting period; there is no separate short filing deadline in this subsection beyond the two-year limitation).
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Who pays
Kansas is a no-fault state: your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays first, with at least $4,500 in medical benefits (plus other PIP benefits at statutory limits) required, and you can sue the other driver only past the state's threshold.
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If you were partly at fault
If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you recover nothing unless your negligence was less than the other party's, so a 50% share bars recovery.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Kansas is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Kansas. Both take under a minute.
County around Wichita
| County | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedgwick County | 318 | 11.9 | 54 | 536,081 |
About these numbers
FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days. It leaves out the far larger number of crashes that only injured people. Places are as coded in the report: a crash on a county road just outside city limits counts for the county, not the city. Rates use the Census 2024 population estimate and the five-year average.