KANSAS CITY - A statue honoring fallen firefighters at the Kansas Firefighters Museum in S. Wichita was damaged in a crash.
A car crashed into the statue at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday, south of Broadway & Lincoln; the statue sustained “significant damage,” according to the museum.
The life-sized bronze statue was created by a Wichita artist, Dorothy Koelling.
According to the museum, a 50-foot flagpole saved from the demolition of the old Wichita Fire Department Station 9 at Kellogg and Oliver rests near the statue; a U.S. flag is flown over the memorial area at all times.
A 39-year-old man was found breathing but unresponsive following the crash; he was hospitalized in critical-but-stable condition, and may have suffered a medical emergency while driving.
Investigators believe the car jumped the curb and hit a street sign, crashing into the statue.
In April, the memorial was vandalized, but was able to be cleaned and restored. The statue has been at the museum for more than 20 years.