Severe accident in Overland Park

Posted: October 8, 2011 - 2:24am
Updated: October 11, 2011 - 12:10am

Franklin Arita - Booking Photo
Photo provided by: Johnson County Sheriff's Office

Operation 100 News has learned that Monday morning, Franklin Arita, a 25-year-old Shawnee man, has been charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and DUI. Bond was set at $100,000. Arita's next court date is set for early Tuesday afternoon.


Original Post:

The Overland Park Police Department is investigating an accident that has left one man deceased. The accident occurred around 2:15 a.m. in the 8700 block of west 79th Street. Upon arrival Med-Act advised that one vehicle remained at the scene. Police received several reports from witnesses that several people were leaving the scene in different directions. The driver of the involved vehicle is one of the subjects reported to have fled on foot. That driver was apprehended by Police in an apartment complex near 79th Street and Grant around 3 a.m.

Med-Act initially reported the one and only man remaining in the vehicle was a possible fatality due to the severity of the accident scene. That man was assessed further and determined to be in extremely critical condition. He was extricated from the vehicle by the Overland Park Fire Department. Reports indicate that the man was wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident. Police report that the vehicle was "wrapped around" the utility pole. That man has since died at an area hospital.

A witness who is believed to have followed the subjects that fled from the scene, reported that the vehicle they were in was at the McDonalds near Interstate 35 and 75th Street. Merriam Police arrived there, located the vehicle and requested Med-Act respond to check at least one subject who was bleeding. That subject's injuries are reported to be minor.

There have been a total of four people treated who were involved in the accident. One is now deceased, the three others all suffered non-life threatening injuries. All of the subjects are reported to be Hispanic, only Spanish speaking and under the age of 30. Three of the four subjects are male. At least one is reported to be under the influence of alcohol. It is unclear at this time if the intoxicated subject was the vehicle's driver.

Overland Park Police say that charges are pending against the driver of the vehicle. Whether or not that driver was intoxicated remains under investigation as of 5:30 a.m..

Kansas City Power & Light is at that scene as the utility pole involved was damaged and is holding a transformer.

Operation 100 News was the first to break this story to the public as it unfolded, no mention by any other local media until after 6:30 a.m..

Stay with Operation 100 News on this blog and on Twitter for the latest information as it becomes available from Police.

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Overland Park apartment fire latest updates.

Posted: August 8, 2011 - 4:10am
Updated: October 26, 2011 - 4:40pm

Updated Story - October 26, 2011 - Reward offered in Overland Park apartment fire investigation

The Overland Park Fire Department has released a statement on this mornings multiple alarm fire in the 9200 block of west 79th Street. Dispatchers received the first calls about the fire just before 12:30 a.m. with callers reporting smoke and fire at the Evergreen Apartments.

A Johnson County Med-Act Ambulance was the first to arrive on scene and immediately reported heavy fire from the roof of the two story apartment building. Overland Park Fire crews arrived and reported they were seeing active fire from the basement all the way up through the roof. Within minutes the fire was upgraded to a two alarm response.

Overland Park Police and Fire crews assisted several residents out of the building. Shortly after those evacuations were completed, fire crews were forced from the building due to a partial collapse of the roof. Aerial ladders were setup around the building and crews on the ground fought the fire from the exterior. The fire was contained to an area of the building between two firewalls. The firewalls did what they are in place to do and prevented the fire from expanding to a larger section of the building.

A statement released by Overland Park Fire states that six units were destroyed and crews were able to save the majority of the building. The fire was reported under control just after 3:15 a.m. No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Kansas City Power & Light cut power to approximately 1,500 customers as crews battled the blaze to allow for aerial ladders to be extended near the power lines.

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Pegah's Family Restaurant Fire Cause Ruled Inconclusive

Shawnee Fire Department investigators have ruled the fire at Pegah's Family Restaurant at 7437 Nieman Road to be inconclusive. The fire was reported by multiple 911 callers around 1:45 a.m.

Shawnee Fire tells Operation 100 News the exact cause could not be determined and there was no reason to believe the fire was anything but accidental. The fire was determined to have started in a storage room where restaurant supplies were being kept.

Damage is estimated at $550,000.