Topeka man sentenced to prison for DUI crash that injured passenger

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Matthew David Zaitz, 34, of Topeka, was sentenced Friday to 52 months in prison for a 2020 crash that seriously injured his passenger.

Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours on October 3, 2020 near the intersection of North 1500 Road and East 1750 Road. Zaitz and a female passenger were discovered injured after their vehicle had left the roadway and crashed in a nearby field. Zaitz and his passenger, who were both found outside the vehicle, suffered serious injuries. Judge Amy Hanley imposed concurrent prison terms of 52 months for aggravated battery and 12 months for driving under the influence.

“I am committed to keeping our streets safe and my office will pursue accountability when someone makes the choice to drive impaired,” District Attorney Valdez said. “Driving under the influence is a senseless act that can have devastating consequences on our entire community.”

The State was represented by Senior Assistant District Attorney David Greenwald. The case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.