WICHITA, KS — The driver accused in a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred in February is scheduled to make her first court appearance today, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
Madelyn Walter, 24, of Derby, is set to learn the formal charges she faces in the incident that resulted in the death of 75-year-old Manolopoulos Panagiotis of Wichita.
The crash took place just after 5 p.m. on February 6 at the intersection of 47th Street South and Clifton. Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Branden Stitt reported that deputies, EMS, and Fire District #1 responded to the scene of the hit-and-run.
Witnesses told investigators that a red Dodge Nitro, allegedly driven by Walter, was traveling south on Clifton when it failed to yield to an eastbound Ford Fiesta, striking the vehicle in the intersection. The impact was severe enough to eject the Fiesta’s driver, Panagiotis, who was then tragically struck by his own car.
Panagiotis was transported by Sedgwick County EMS to a Wichita hospital in extremely critical condition, where he later died at 10:46 p.m.
The driver of the Nitro, later identified as Walter, immediately fled the scene following the collision. However, witness reports and information provided to 911 dispatchers allowed deputies to utilize the Flock license plate reader system. This technology led them to locate the suspect vehicle in a Walmart parking lot in Derby.
With the assistance of the Derby Police Department, Walter was located at a nearby residence and subsequently arrested. She was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of failing to stop at an injury crash resulting in great bodily injury.
As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities determined that Walter’s 5-year-old child was a passenger in the Nitro at the time of the crash. Neither Walter nor the child sustained injuries.
Law enforcement has since presented the case and evidence to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging. Walter’s initial court appearance will take place today, December 4, 2025.
