Sedgwick County officials push quick fixes after deadly crashes at 20 Ninth and 130 Fifth

Nicole Gibbs, director of strategic communications for Sedgwick County, opened a county press conference on traffic safety and said county leaders would address a recent fatal crash at the intersection of 20 Ninth and 130 Fifth.

Sheriff Jeff Easter said the county conducted a five-year review of that intersection and found 16 crashes since 2021, including two fatalities. Easter initially said 14 of the crashes were injury collisions but later clarified that 10 were property-damage-only and six involved injuries. "Two lives being lost is too many," Easter said, and urged drivers to obey stop signs and driver-education rules: "The stop signs are there for a reason. That means stop."

Commissioner Wise, speaking for Sedgwick County, offered condolences to the family of Tiffany Jones and said the county must act quickly. "Their safety has to come first," Commissioner Wise said, and pushed for at least a temporary digital message board at the intersection this week to warn drivers while staff and the sheriff's office evaluate permanent options.

County officials described several possible countermeasures under consideration: a temporary or permanent four-way stop, rumble strips, larger stop signs with flashing red lights, traffic signals, and, as a longer-term and more expensive option, roundabouts. Commissioner Wise said roundabouts "work" in her experience but acknowledged they require additional right-of-way and cost.

Officials emphasized limits to enforcement. Easter said deputies concentrate on high-accident locations and on speeding and inattentive driving, but that the sheriff's office cannot station officers at every intersection for long periods. "If we could set a patrol vehicle there for several hours a day, it would probably wake people up... But we can't do that," he said.

Commissioner Wise proposed a practical near-term approach and a longer-term plan: place temporary warning signage quickly, then partner with the sheriff's office and Sedgwick County Public Works to identify priority intersections and pursue improvements. She suggested creating a plan to address roughly five intersections a year, subject to support from the other commissioners and available funding.

A resident who said they have lived in the area for 45 years asked whether a temporary four-way stop could be installed immediately. Commissioner Wise said that option "is in discussion" and called it "an easy fix" but noted the county must consider how changes would affect traffic flow, particularly with schools recently starting. County staff offered to follow up with Public Works to discuss right-of-way and technical details.

County staff and elected officials did not announce a formal vote or adopt a binding policy at the press conference. Instead, the meeting produced two near-term commitments: pursuit of a temporary message board to warn drivers and a staff-led review, in coordination with the sheriff's office and Public Works, of permanent safety measures at the intersection and other high-accident locations in Sedgwick County.

Forward-looking steps noted by officials include follow-up conversations with Public Works about right-of-way for roundabouts and a county-level list of priority intersections for safety improvements. No timeline beyond "this week" for the temporary sign and no funding amounts were specified.