Police: Speed and alcohol contributing factors to Pflumm Road crash

Posted: February 16, 2016 - 3:21am

Updated: March 10, 2016 - 12:37pm

Shawnee firefighters extricate a woman trapped in the car
Mike Frizzell - Operation 100 News photo
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Additional photos below report.

Update:

Shawnee Police have determined the, 21-year-old, Olathe woman who was injured in a February 16 crash at 63rd Street and Pflumm Road was driving nearly 80 m.p.h. when she lost control and crashed. The posted speed limit on that stretch of Pflumm Road is only 30 m.p.h.The police department's accident narrative says, "Vehicle 1 was determined to be going 78 m.p.h.," in the left lane of southbound Pflumm, when the car struck the center median at 62nd Terrace and began sliding sideways. 

"Vehicle 1 continued sliding southbound in the inside [left] lane of travel and then into the outside [right] lane of travel," the report says. "Vehicle 1 then left the roadway at 63rd Street and Pflumm, where Vehicle 1 first struck a fire hydrant, then a city light pole, and a wooden utility pole."

The impact with the fire hydrant is believed to be when the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu rolled over, trapping the driver inside.

Shawnee firefighters worked for more than an hour to extricate the injured woman from the overturned car.

Johnson County Med-Act Public Information Officer Angela Fera confirms the woman was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center in critical condition.

The police department's accident report shows that a preliminary impairment test determined the driver's blood alcohol content to be 0.11. The legal limit in Kansas is 0.08.

Major Dan Tennis of the Shawnee Police Department says the woman has been released from the hospital, but he was not able to say when.

"The driver was issued citations through Shawnee Municipal Court, for DUI, Speeding, and Reckless driving," Tennis said. "The driver should be presumed innocent until proven guilty in court."

The accident report also states that the roads were dry when the crash occurred. It started raining shortly after the emergency crews arrived at the scene.

Operation 100 News has chosen to withhold the woman's name until after she appears in court.

Original report:

-Video not for broadcast-

An Olathe woman was critically injured in a single car crash at 63rd Street and Pflumm Road early Tuesday morning.

Shawnee Police, Fire, and Johnson County Med-Act were called to the intersection around 12:50 a.m. on a report of a car on its roof.

Firefighters worked for just over an hour to safely extricate a woman from the overturned car.

Johnson County Med-Act Public Information Officer Angela Fera says one woman was transported from the scene in critical condition.

Major Dan Tennis of the Shawnee Police Department said the woman is from Olathe and is expected to live. Tennis said she was not seriously injured.

The crash damaged a fire hydrant, throwing it approximately 75 feet from its base. A street light pole was also knocked over in the crash and a low hanging utility line was damaged.

Maj. Tennis said alcohol and the speed the woman was driving were contributing factors to the crash.

The Shawnee Police Department's Traffic Safety Unit continues to investigate.

Shawnee firefighters work to extricate the trapped driver from the overturned car as water spews from where the fire hydrant was sheared off by the impact.

Response vehicle belonging to Johnson County's Medical Director

Firefighters work from all sides of the car to remove the injured woman safely

A firefighter puts away tools in the back of the department's heavy rescue

Firefighters survey the damage after the woman was transported away from the scene by Med-Act

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Delivery driver carjacked in Shawnee apartment complex

Posted: February 15, 2016 - 12:24pm

Shawnee Police say they are investigating after a Pizza Hut delivery driver was robbed by three suspects late Sunday night.

Shawnee Police with the alleged suspects' vehicle in the 6200 block of Rene Street
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In a news release early Monday afternoon, Shawnee Police Major Dan Tennis says the aggravated robbery occurred around 11 p.m. Sunday in the 6300 block of Widmer Road.

The victim told police that three people robbed him while he was delivering pizza in the Cottonwood Park Apartments. One of the suspects was allegedly armed with a silver handgun.

"They took his money and his vehicle," Major Tennis said. "He was not injured."

"Officers located the victim's 2013 Kia Soul and the alleged suspects' 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix in the 6200 block of Rene Street," the release says.

Major Tennis says officers arrested a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, both have addresses in Kansas City, Kansas. Both of the juveniles were arrested without incident. A third suspect ran from police.

Operation 100 News was in the 6200 block of Rene after 3 a.m. as a police K-9 searched backyards for the suspect. Officers were not able to locate anyone.

Shawnee Police with the alleged suspects' vehicle in the 6200 block of Rene Street
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"Detectives are still working on the case," Tennis says in the release. "They have a good idea who the third person is and are working this morning to locate him."

Police have not released a description or any other information regarding the third suspect.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Shawnee Police Department at 913-631-2150 or the TIPS hotline at 816-474-8477.

Remember where you heard this news first, more than eight hours before police sent out a news release. Operation 100 News, reporting the news to the public as it breaks.

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PHOTOS: Police arrest two men accused of shooting at an undercover officer

Posted: January 7, 2016 - 3:57am
Updated: January 9, 2016 - 1:26am

Shawnee Police arrested two men who allegedly fired shots at an undercover Lenexa officer late Wednesday.

Ruben Rodriguez, 29
Johnson County Sheriff's Office booking photo

The suspects, 29-year-old Ruben Rodriguez and 21-year-old Samir Arrendondoaragon of Kansas City, Kansas have both appeared in Johnson County Court on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. Bond was set for both suspects at $500,000.

In a news release, Major Dan Tennis of the Shawnee Police Department says Lenexa officers were conducting surveillance in Lenexa using an unmarked vehicle just before 10pm.

"While conducting surveillance, the alleged suspect vehicle left the location being watched and was followed by the [Lenexa] police," Tennis said in the release.

Samir Arrendondoaragon, 21
Johnson County Sheriff's Office booking photo

The suspect vehicle led the undercover Lenexa officer into Shawnee.

As the officer was trying to get a marked police vehicle to intercept the suspect vehicle Tennis says, "the two people in the suspect vehicle began shooting at the officer."

Crime Scene Technician at Shawnee Mission Parkway & Maurer
One of at least three crime scenes, all in Shawnee.
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Mike Frizzell - Operation 100 News photo
Additional scene photos below

"They shot multiple rounds at the officer as they were driving," Tennis said.

"Several police officers responded to assist and the suspect vehicle was disabled with a tire deflation device in the city of Shawnee," Captain Diana Mendoza of the Lenexa Police Department said in a news release.


The suspects abandoned their vehicle in the back driveway of a home on the southwest corner of 73rd Street and Charles Street.

The suspect vehicle abandoned in a yard near 73rd & Charles Streets
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Mike Frizzell - Operation 100 News photo

Operation 100 News spoke to Shawnee Police Captain Mark Hein at the 73rd Street and Charles Street scene. Captain Hein said the suspects were both taken into custody south of their vehicle, after officers from Shawnee and Lenexa set up a "strong perimeter."

Two Shawnee officers, armed with rifles, hold a perimeter near 72nd Street & Quivira Road
Photo submitted to by Operation 100 News follower Brian Bolen, used with permission

Captain Hein also said that he was told the temporary license plate on the suspect vehicle was stolen, but the vehicle was not stolen.

Crime Scene Technicians from the Johnson County Sheriff's Office Crime Lab processed at least three scenes in Shawnee. Traffic cones marked evidence on the ramp from Maurer Road to eastbound Shawnee Mission Parkway, where Captain Hein says the first shots were fired.

Another traffic cone marked evidence on Lackman Road near 74th Street, just outside of the Maple Ridge of Wedgewood neighborhood.

Crime Scene Technicians also collected the suspect vehicle and Lenexa's undercover vehicle. Both vehicles were towed away from the scene for further processing at the Johnson County Crime Lab in Olathe.

Captain Mendoza says, "at around 2:00am the Lenexa Police Department served a search warrant at the original address. No other suspects were found."

Lenexa Police have not released any additional information regarding the nature of their investigation.

No one was injured during the incident.

Johnson County Crime Scene unit with Shawnee Police on the ramp from
Maurer Road to eastbound Shawnee Mission Parkway, where two cones marked evidence

Two cones marked evidence on the ramp from Maurer Road to eastbound Shawnee Mission Parkway

Johnson County Crime Scene Unit at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Maurer Road

Shawnee Police officers at 73rd Street and Charles Street

The suspect vehicle came to a stop in a yard and both suspects ran

Suspect vehicle (right) with Lenexa Police Department's unmarked van and Shawnee Police behind

Olathe man arrested after trying to lure officers into pursuit

Posted: November 6, 2015 - 4:36am
Updated: November 7, 2015 - 1:53am

A 20-year-old Olathe man is being held on $10,000 bond after he tried to get officers to chase his modified Mercedes-Benz in northwestern Shawnee Friday morning.

Shortly before 1:30 a.m. a Shawnee officer patrolling the area attempted to stop a silver Mercedes-Benz that was driving west on 47th Street near Chouteau Street. The driver failed to yield to the officer and accelerated away. The officer did not give chase.

Seconds later the officer reported that the car he had just tried to stop had "wrecked out" at the intersection of 47th Street and Kansas Highway 7.

Police caught up with the speeding car after it crashed
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Operation 100 News - Mike Frizzell photo

The car jumped a curb, breaking at least two of the wheels on the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG. The car's airbags also deployed in the crash. The driver was not injured and he was quickly taken into custody.

Police are investigating whether or not this is the same man who has repeatedly tried to get officers to chase him. Since early summer there have been numerous reports, from law enforcement agencies across Johnson County, of a silver Mercedes-Benz with a loud exhaust trying to get officers to chase.

Timothy Garrett Wottlin, 20, of Olathe, Kansas
Charged after attempting to elude Shawnee Police
Johnson County Sheriff's Office booking photo

The Johnson County District Attorney's office has charged 20-year-old Timothy G. Wottlin with misdemeanor fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and misdemeanor driving without an ignition interlock device.

County records show Wottlin was arrested in October 2014 for driving under the influence. He was granted diversion in January 2015. A motion to revoke Wottlin's diversion was filed on November 3, 2015.

The Kansas Highway Patrol arrested Wottlin in September for speeding. He subsequently pleaded guilty to driving without an ignition interlock device on October 20, 2015.

Wottlin is being held on $10,000 bond and his next court appearance is scheduled for November 12.

Check back with Operation 100 News on this blog and on Twitter for the latest details as they become available. Remember where you heard this news first, Operation 100 News, reporting the news to the public as it breaks.

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Juveniles arrested following burglary and pursuit in western Shawnee

Posted: November 5, 2015 - 3:41am
Updated: November 5, 2015 - 12:24pm

Shawnee Police arrested three juveniles after a western Shawnee resident reported someone was opening her garage door late Wednesday night.

According to Major Dan Tennis, officers were dispatched to the 24200 block of West 67th Terrace on a possible aggravated residential burglary in progress at 11:44 p.m..

A woman called 911 to report that she heard her garage door open, she then closed it only to hear the door open again. The woman and her husband told police that they didn't see anyone. The couple reported a garage door opener had been stolen from a vehicle parked in their driveway.

At 11:53 a Shawnee dispatcher requested a third officer to respond to the area of the call. A police supervisor added himself to the call seconds later.

Due to encryption of police radios, it's unclear where or when officers located the suspects and the suspect car. Police also started their pursuit on an encrypted radio channel, before moving to a regional pursuit channel minutes later.

Radio traffic from a Lenexa Police dispatcher, at 11:54, stated that Shawnee officers were in pursuit of a black passenger car eastbound on 70th near Belmont and that it is related to an aggravated burglary. At least two Lenexa officers, including one K-9, said they would start towards the area of Shawnee's pursuit.

By 11:55 Shawnee radios had been moved to a regional pursuit channel and the pursuit was eastbound on 71st Street from Gleason Road. The suspects drove to the dead-end of 71st Street, east of Hedge Lane Terrace, where they made a U-turn and sped off back to the west.

A Shawnee officer reported speeds of 60 miles-per-hour on westbound 71st Street near Apache Drive. The black 2015 Kia Forte turned north onto Mize Road with speeds around 50 miles-per-hour.

The suspect driver followed Mize Road to 63rd Street, where the road turns east, with speeds around 30. The suspects turned north on Clare Road and slowed to 10 miles-per-hour before coming to a stop, just south of 61st Terrace.

Major Tennis says, "while turning a corner, the vehicle struck a curb or rock which flattened one of the front tires. The vehicle was not able to drive anymore and stopped."

According to radio traffic, the pursuing officer held the car at gunpoint until additional officers could arrive to assist him.

"Three juveniles were taken into custody without incident," Tennis said. "Both males were 17 and the female was 16."

Operation 100 News has independently confirmed two male juveniles and one female juvenile were taken into custody. All three were questioned by police at Shawnee Police headquarters, before being transported to the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center in Olathe around 3 a.m..

Tennis says, "the case is being sent to the Johnson County District Attorney's office this morning for review and charging."

Attempts to contact police immediately following the pursuit were not answered.

This is the second occasion [that Operation 100 is aware of] Shawnee Police have attempted to keep a high-speed pursuit on an encrypted radio channel. An October 2014 pursuit, which started with a Shawnee Police K-9 vehicle being rammed in a QuikTrip parking lot, was heavily encrypted. Shawnee officers led the nearly 40 mile pursuit, which ended 30 minutes later near Blue Springs, Missouri. Previous Operation 100 News report.

Check back with Operation 100 News on this blog and on Twitter for the latest details as they become available. Remember where you heard this news first, Operation 100 News, reporting the news to the public as it breaks.

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