Prank results in crashed KTA Patrol cruiser
By Bobbi Mlynar (Contact)
Originally published 01:28 p.m., February 11, 2008
Updated 01:28 p.m., February 11, 2008
What apparently began as joyriding ended in a one-car accident and charges in Lyon County District Court for the two young men involved.
The car, a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria owned by the Kansas Turnpike Authority, was damaged extensively in the accident, which happened early on the morning of Jan. 27.
Warrants for the arrests of Keegan B. Crawford, 19, and Patrick D. Moomey, 20, were filed on Jan. 29 in Lyon County District Court. Each is charged with criminal deprivation of property, theft under $1,000 (two flares owned by the KTA), minor in possession or consumption of alcohol, and leaving the scene of an injury accident.
At the time of the incident, Crawford was staying at the home of his father, a KTA Highway Patrol trooper who was on vacation in Florida, according to an affidavit filed in the case by Lyon County Sheriff’s officer Jeffery W. Rodriguez.
The affidavit stated that another officer interviewed Crawford and reported that Crawford said he had a party at his father’s house and drank several Bud Light cereal malt beers. He took two flares from the patrol car and lit them to shoot off fireworks, which rendered the flares unusable.
About 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 27, he took the patrol car without permission and drove onto County Road 205, with Moomey riding with him.
“Keegan said he was traveling around 80 miles per hour and came to a T intersection at Road 205 and Road R7,” the affidavit said. “Keegan said he locked the brakes and lost control of the patrol car and rolled it in the east ditch. Keegan received minor injuries to his right shoulder resulting from the accident.”
The men left the scene without reporting the accident.
“Keegan said he was not going to report the accident because he knew he was going to be in major trouble,” the affidavit said.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled on March 17 at 8:30 a.m. for both men.
Comments
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Posted by Blackshirt (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 2:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why such a delay in the reporting of this story? Incident on the 27th, warrants on the 29th and an article on the 11th.
Posted by emporian (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 2:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This kid wasnt spoiled. I have known him for several years. He used to ride his bike from Thorndale to Hartford to lift weights and attend cross country practice cause he couldnt get a ride. He was anything but spoiled. People do stupid stuff, especially with alcohol. Yeah, he screwed up big time. It will cost him his College Scholarship, and his career in the Marines. The reason he didn't want to report it is he knew what his father's reaction would be. Am I saying that isn't wrong, no, he screwed up royally. But for you to say he is spoiled is sooooo far offbase it isn't even funny. Keegan worked for everything he had in life, and in one hour threw it all away too.
Posted by hartford (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well I hope he will learn something from this and I am sure he will! Yeah he may have blown his scholarship but he is young and he has his whole life ahead of him to make up for this dumb mistake. I do wonder why though this wasn't reported earlier. We didn't read anything about the car being found in the ditch or anything like that. I guess the Gazette only prints what it wants to!
Posted by peanutbutter (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 3:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
what about the father? Why in the heck did the kid have access to the keys?
Posted by peanutbutter (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What about the father? Why were the keys to a work vehicle accessable to a teenager that was home while his father was out of state?
Posted by Iloveemporia (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 3:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yea it's bad for everybody bet if it was some sort of minority they would have been jailed but since daddy is on the kta just a slap on the wrist and thats it. way to go emporia
Posted by hartford (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 5:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Iloveemporia:
I hear what you're saying! And unfortunately that is exactly right! If the teenagers would have been minority's, the Gazette would have printed it the first day and they would be sitting in jail today!
Posted by classic (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 5:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't know if I would call Keegan spoiled or not. None of us has complete control over anyone else, including our own children. He engaged in a very impulsive, juvenile act and will pay a huge penalty for it. No, he is not a minority. But, yes, he did go to jail and is facing felony charges so you have jumped to conclusions, iloveemporia. By the way, greenday, seams are sewn into your clothes...so it seems. Maybe the keys should have been secured better, but I know I don't have all of my keys locked away. Do you, peanutbutter? We all learn by experience, it just takes some longer than others.
Posted by jan (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 5:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We all learn from our mistakes.
I wonder all the time why things aren't reported in the Gazette. I keep thinking they are saving money by not hiring any reporters who go out and actually report on the news. I have a police scanner and listen to things all the time that are happening around the area and they never get reported on in the Gazette. I get more information from the Burlington paper the Topeka paper and KVOE.com. The Gazette is a poor excuse for a newspaper in recent years. Maybe they have gone green, and saving the forest!
Posted by zeus (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is to easy to point fingers at people for what happened but the fact is that he is 19 and an adult. Spoiled or not he made poor decisions and white, black, brown, green, purple, or whatever color, he should be prosecuted to the fullest. He obviously has no respect for his father or the fact that his father is a law enforcement officer and not to mention that he was intoxicated and drove a vehicle. A drunk driver puts people's lives at risk and someone else besides he and his friend could have been hurt. Judging from the time this occurred I wonder where the on duty Sheriff's Deputies were at? I am only speaking of the night shift officer who drives the truck, maybe he should patrol less in the city and more in the county. Isn't that what the Emporia Police is for?
Posted by peanutbutter (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 9:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
my guns are secure and my kids don't know where those keys are. . . you better believe that if I had a company vehicle and I was even at the grocery store those keys would be with me or somewhere not to be found.
Posted by railroadhorn (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 9:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'd have to agree that the Gazette's crime/courts coverage isn't clear and rarely gives the other side a chance to say anything. Overwritten. A jail inmate got 27 months in prison for bringing a cigarette back after work release. Is Emporia the new Taliban?
Plus the sheriff's office bought new heating and cooling equipment but it costs a ton of money to retool it to fit the current antiquated boiler system. It's too hot or too cold all the time. Why buy the equipment if you don't install it? Instead we have a monolithic court house that's a laughing stock to taxpayers.
News coverage amounts to a reporter getting told when and when not to write about something by that young Walker man who is no WAW journalist. No great thinker or writer, that one. It's just a shame what passes for journalism in this town.
Posted by truelovecharlie (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 9:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why does everything always end up with a debate about minorities? The minority anymore is the middle-class white man. We are fast heading towards extinction(sp?). No one in this country has the freedoms we are suppose to have because everyone else wants all their freedoms also. It's a bad deal and should be dealt with accordingly; no matter what race or who the family is.
Posted by thatotherguy (anonymous) on February 11, 2008 at 10:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
First get your facts straight. Number one the kids are not getting felony charges pressed against them and 2nd the Marine involved is not loosing his career over something as stupid as a simple mistake the most that is going to happen is he will get busted down in rank and some loss of money. Yeah it was a stupid mistake but they both know better and they will face the conseqences of there actions like adults. But what i want to know is why you are complaining about keegan more then you are of patrick. They are both wrong. Quit pointing your fingers at one certain person.
Posted by neighbor (anonymous) on February 12, 2008 at 6:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
kstre, amen on the making a mistake comment. Most likely the Gazette did not receive info on the incident until charges were formally filed in court against the two screw ups, that wouldn't be the first time that happened. Go ahead folks and cast stones and make your uninformed judgements on the incident, against the law enforcement officer for not putting his car keys in a safe deposit box before going on vacation, blame it on the booze, whatever makes you feel better. The boys made a poor decision, and will now pay the price, same as if your kids did it.
Posted by Mypoint (anonymous) on February 12, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Zeus, why do you have a personal vendetta against the sheriff’s department? I am referring to your post below…
Posted on November 7 at 11:04 a.m. by zeus
“I think almost everyone makes a good point however regarding law enforcement in this area the Emporia PD is understaffed and there are many officers who are burnt out due to a long list of issues. Remember also that this is not just an Emporia issue it is a Lyon County issue, where the heck is the Sheriff's Dept.”
One month you are complaining about the sheriff not being in town and a few months later you are complaining that they are in town. Maybe that deputy was trying to be responsive to the citizens concerns. In this case it was you complaining that the deputies are not in town more.
Posted by madpoet (anonymous) on February 12, 2008 at 10:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I heard about this incident from a coworker who happened upon the scene when the car was found. I figured it just wouldn't be reported in the paper. Like the time a few years back every law enforcement agency chased a man (yes, a MINORITY man) from Emporia to Hartford and most of the way back. It went zooming past our house in the county about 70 in a 45 zone with about 4 cop cars in hot pursuit. We listened to the scanner and were relieved when they ran him into a muddy field and arrested him. In the paper? NO! One little mention on KVOE that a man with a Spanish name was arrested after a high speed chase and the list of charges. This was right after a HUGE deal was made of a short chase on the Turnpike by some white kids in a stolen car. So shut up about the minority issue. Whites are not always given preferential treatment.
Posted by zeus (anonymous) on February 12, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let me clarify something for you kst, my concerns are not with a majority of the patrol officers with the Sheriff's Officers because I am familiar with some of them and from what I've heard and seen they are good officers. However there a couple that I would not speak for. But my main concerns are with the Admin. and when I earlier commented about the Sheriff's Dept.'s involvement with the shooting this was due to a lack of partnership between the Police Dept. and the Sheriff's Dept. and from what I know and have seen is mostly due to the Sheriff's Dept.'s Admin, not the patrol deputies. (with the exception of the truck deputy I earlier mentioned.)
Posted by glarson (Gwen Larson) on February 12, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
••From Blackshirt: “Why such a delay in the reporting of this story? Incident on the 27th, warrants on the 29th and an article on the 11th.”••
A number of factors kept us from reporting this quicker.
First, on Jan. 25, Tyson announced layoffs of 1,500 workers in Emporia. Gazette staff put in overtime that night and the next week reporting on the situation. A quick check of headlines on the Web site beginning Jan. 25 shows at least one Tyson-related story (and usually more) every day through Feb. 4.
Second, the first inkling of this incident The Gazette might have had would have come on the sheriff’s log from weekend calls. Because no one was around the vehicle when it was found, this incident was logged as a non-injury accident at Roads 205 and R7. It was logged in at 7:58 a.m. Jan. 27. Because the Gazette routinely requests information only on injury accidents, we did not request a copy of the report.
Third, the first time The Gazette heard about this incident came from an anonymous caller asking if we’d heard about the Emporia police officer whose kid wrecked his patrol car. No, we hadn’t, and neither had anyone else because the caller’s facts were wrong.
The first credible tip came five days after the accident. This tipster indicated it was a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper. Again, no name to check on the jail log and a vague idea of the date. Finally, a week after the accident, The Gazette received a tip with a credible name to check.
At that point, life intervened with assignments for an upcoming special six-part section in The Gazette and news of more Tyson layoffs. Finally, our reporter was able to get to District Court and pull an affidavit from which this story was written.
••From jan: “I have a police scanner and listen to things all the time that are happening around the area and they never get reported on in the Gazette.”••
We, too, have police scanners in the newsroom, and some of our reporters have them. Still, we do miss calls. We welcome calls from our readers. As mentioned earlier, however, we appreciate having enough information that we know where to find the answers.
Finally, I would be happy to talk with anyone who has questions about our coverage. You may call me at 342-4841 Ext. 219 or e-mail to larson@emporiagazette.com.
Gwen Larson
Managing Editor
Posted by moomeyj (anonymous) on February 12, 2008 at 4:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I absolutely love how ignorant posts can be made viewable by the public. I think there should be some sort of filter on here so all of the redneck garbage that gets posted as "opinions" or even better "credible facts" can be trashed before it even has a chance to dumb us as readers for looking at it. To the very first poster on here, where do you get off calling these kids spoiled?! Spare the rod? Please, spare us all your ignorance. I not only knew one of the men in question, I grew up with him. As his older brother, I assure you, there was no "sparing of the rod" in our household. Why in the world does every topic on here go racial? The mens race have nothing to do with how and why it is reported. The reason Tyson news was so quick is because it has an effect on EVERY single person in this area. Does this story effect EVERY person? Not even close. The only way it touches any one of your lives is by giving you something to gossip about or even better, the excuse to chastise and degrade a couple of young men you have never even met. I wonder how many cowards on here can sit in front of their computer and post all of this nonsense on what should happen, how these kids should be punished, or anything else that gets posted, would actually say any of these things to the men in question if they were face to face with them? My guess is not very many since every single person on here remains anonymous by decision. Im not saying what they did was right. It was juvenile, irresponsible, and down right ignorant. Is there a single person that has not, at least at some point in their life, acted irresponsibly? I would venture out and say there is not a single person of such a case. These young men will face the consequences of their decision as would anyone else. It should be left at that.
Posted by m_onnen (anonymous) on February 12, 2008 at 6:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with moomey on this. Patrick Moomey and Keegan Crawford are two of my best friends. These two can hardly be considered spoiled. How dare you people criticize someone you don't even know. Yes they messed up big time. But how many of you have done something down right the dumbest thing you could think of when you were drunk. Before you criticize these kids why don't you take a look at yourselves.
Posted by jan (anonymous) on February 13, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
to Gwen...You say you have police scanners at the Gazette and SOME of the reporters have them too, and you welcome calls from the readers.
I have to say first of all, Not all the news happens while you are in the Gazette building. I am sure the scanners get turned off before you head home every evening. Not all the news happens from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Maybe the Gazette needs to hire a reporter to work evenings and buy him a scanner so he can listen and go out to report on the actual news while it is happening instead of just relying on the daily reports from the EPD and the Sheriffs dept. As for the welcoming calls from readers comment. There would be no need to have calls from the readers if you DID hire a reporter to work evenings and weekends. The Gazette readers do not get paid to do a reporters job. The Gazette should do their own jobs and let us the people who PAY for your newspaper read about the news. Isn't that why we pay for the Gazette. So the reporters can get paid to go out and actually report on the news as it is happening instead of relying solely on the daily reports.
Posted by toofast (anonymous) on February 13, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Since when is stealing a car, much less a police car, drunk driving, speeding, and the other illegal acts of these young men a PRANK.
Posted by doesitmatter (anonymous) on February 13, 2008 at 2:06 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by doesitmatter (anonymous) on February 13, 2008 at 2:12 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by webmaster (web master) on February 13, 2008 at 3:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear Jan,
Thank you for your suggestions but perhaps we need to set the record straight.
Gazette reporters and staffers work around the clock. Gazette jobs are not limited to 8am and 5pm.
Seven days a week there is someone working covering Emporia's news.
Posted by MelissaE (anonymous) on February 13, 2008 at 8:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jan,
If you're that unhappy, get rid of your subscription.
Melissa
Posted by jan (anonymous) on February 13, 2008 at 9:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hi Webmaster, Thank you for setting the record straight. I am pleased to hear that the Gazette has reporters on the job 24/7. But that only makes me more curious why most things I hear on the police scanner are never reported on in the Gazette.
Melissa....... wow, thats a thought, thank you for your suggestion.
Posted by Paccifier (anonymous) on February 13, 2008 at 9:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jan- I agree with Melissa- if you don't like it, you don't have to pay for it- or start your own paper if you can do better
Posted by gogreen (anonymous) on February 13, 2008 at 11:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow, reading this is like watching one of those Jerry Springer shows where everyone fights.....
Posted by Hillbilly (anonymous) on February 14, 2008 at 8:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
this comment was left by their best friend!! m_onnen
"But how many of you have done something down right the dumbest thing you could think of when you were drunk."
As for not being anyones concern, The State of Kansas paid for that cruiser with hard earned tax money, but its OK because the sweet little boys were having fun and decided to pull a PRANK. there has to be a few felonys there somewhere.
How many underage were also arrested that morning for drinking underage at the house where they pulled the PRANK?? I, for one hope that the State of Kansas does not let this PRANK slide under the rug.
NOT everyone drinks and NOT everyone who drinks will be as stupid as to do something like that m_onnen
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