COFFEYVILLE, Kan. — City Manager Ben Brubaker explains his officer’s actions in the aftermath of a high-speed chase that killed a Coffeyville teen.
Brubaker revealed new details about a police chase that started in Oklahoma and ended on the busy streets of Coffeyville, killing Serafina O’Connell, 15, on Friday, Sept. 26.
PREVIOUS: Teen killed, another hurt in Coffeyville crash with pursuit suspect, KHP
Brubaker released the video statement Friday, one week after the crash that killed Serafina O’Connell and injured her sister, Maia.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor has charged Tenisha Mayberry, 38, of Blue Springs, Missouri, with first-degree felony murder, aggravated battery, and fleeing law enforcement.
Tenisha Mayberry – Provided by Montgomery Co. Sheriff
According to a video released on the City of Coffeyville Facebook page, Coffeyville officers became aware of the pursuit involving a newer model Jeep driven by Mayberry, who was reportedly fleeing authorities. Authorities say the Jeep blew through all of the traffic lights and maneuvered around the patrol cars that were strategically placed at several intersections.
The Kansas Highway Patrol crash report says Maia O’Connell, 17, was driving a 2007 Chevy Tahoe, and when Mayberry’s Jeep struck the Tahoe on the passenger side, both vehicles overturned. The Tahoe landed on its top.
Mayberry and her passenger, Cortez Wasson, 19, both received minor injuries, according to the KHP report.
Cortez Wasson – Provided by Montgomery Co. Sheriff
Maia O’Connell was transported to Coffeyville Regional Hospital with minor injuries. Serafina was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, where she later died.
Brubaker said Coffeyville officers positioned themselves near Walnut and 11th streets, blocking some of the lanes, in an attempt to keep the chase on the highway and away from residential areas. Instead, officers say Mayberry continued eastbound, and because “officers were not permitted under state law” to fully block the roads, Mayberry drove onto a sidewalk. That’s when they say she turned north onto Patterson, nearly striking a tree and several cars before crashing into the O’Connell’s Tahoe.
Brubaker says Coffeyville police, firefighters, county deputies, EMS, dispatchers, and even public works employees responded. Mayberry and Wasson were detained, the scene was secured, and medical care was provided.
Brubaker called the crash a “devastating event” for the community and thanked first responders for their work. He emphasized that the suspect’s actions directly caused the tragedy and said he is seeking answers about the role of out-of-state law enforcement agencies that initiated the pursuit.
Brubaker ended his statement by expressing prayers and support for the O’Connell family.
Mayberry made her first court appearance on Thursday, October 2, and Wasson is scheduled to make his first appearance on Tuesday, October 7. They are both being held without bail in the Montgomery County Jail.
Services for Serafina are being handled by David W. Barnes Funeral Home.
You can view the full video here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.