It took only hours for Kansas state police to charge a drunk pedestrian with second-degree murder in the death of an off-duty police officer who was killed when he wrecked his motorcycle into the back of a car that had stopped for the pedestrian, who apparently was hitchhiking in the middle of the road.
The incident took place Monday when Concordia police officer Marc Henry rode his motorcycle into the back of a Kia that had come to a stop after the truck in front of it came to a stop to avoid hitting the hitchhiker.
The Kansas Highway Patrol charged Calvin Stewart even before it completed its report on the incident, which states the following, according to the Concordia Blade-Empire:
According to the Highway Patrol report, at 2:49 p.m., five miles north of the Minneapolis turnoff, 2005 Harley Davidson FLH Series ridden by Henry, 48, was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 81 behind a 2018 Kia Sportage being driven by Steven McCawley, 64, The Colony, Texas.
The McCawley vehicle was behind a 2011 CMV Freightliner being driven by Kevin Wimberley, 35, Wichita.
Calvin Stewart, 47, Salina, walked into the roadway in front of the Wimberley vehicle, causing him to take evasive action.
Wimberley applied his brakes, coming to a complete stop in the driving lanes.
McCawley had to come to a complete stop to avoid striking the Wimberley vehicle.
Henry was unable to stop in time, and struck the rear of McCawley’s vehicle.
Still no word on Stewart’s blood alcohol content or the speed the officer was traveling on his motorcycle when he crashed into the back of the Kia in broad daylight.
Stewart has a detailed criminal history and was named one of Salina’s most wanted for forgery and theft charges. Salina is a city in Kansas with less than 50,000 people, according to the latest census.
