Burns officer dies in crash
Staff writer
Part-time Burns police officer Stephen Evans, 44, died Monday in a crash just north of El Dorado.
According to the Butler County sheriff’s office, Evans — also a Butler County deputy —was on duty for the city of Burns when he crashed on US-77 a mile north of I-35.
Burns councilwoman Leah January said the Butler County sheriff’s office told her Evans was driving south in his patrol car when he attempted to make a U-turn on US-77 just north of the turnpike.
His car was hit on the driver’s side door by a pickup. Evans died at the scene.
January said Evans was hired by the city in April.
The city allowed Evans to drive his patrol car between Burns and his home in El Dorado so he could buy gasoline in El Dorado instead of Peabody, January said.
January said Evans was apparently headed home from work when the accident happened at about 5 p.m.
Evans was a Butler County sheriff’s deputy since May 2020 and graduated from the law enforcement training academy in December.
Before becoming a deputy, Evans worked 15 years for the Kansas Department of Corrections.