Fort Riley soldier arrested and charged with driving under the influence and killing an off-duty police officer

According to local law enforcement, a Fort Riley soldier has been arrested and charged with manslaughter following a traffic accident that killed a Kansas police officer as he drove home from his shift.

Private Gage Kaiser, 19, was arrested on Sept. 10 on a warrant out of Sedgwick County, where the crash occurred in March, according to the Geary County Sheriff's Office. The soldier is charged with manslaughter while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and two counts of aggravated assault.

According to the Sumner County Sheriff's Office, which was dispatched to the scene of the accident, Kaiser was driving on U.S. Highway 81 in Peck at about 4:19 a.m. on March 16 when he ran a stop sign too fast and collided with a vehicle driven by Clearwater police Officer Scott Hollingsworth.

The area is south of Wichita and is largely rural, with the exception of a nearby casino. Police say Kaiser left the town of Mulvane and was on his way to a friend's house. Fort Riley is about 120 miles north of Wichita.

Hollingsworth, 26, had just gotten off work and was driving home to the city of Wellington. He had worked for the police department for about a year and leaves behind his wife and daughter, according to Clearwater police.

Kaiser, an infantryman, joined the Army in July 2023 from Arkansas City, Kansas, and had been stationed at Fort Riley since February, according to the base.

The soldier was being held at the Geary County Detention Center on $200,000 bail, according to the county's website. Fort Riley is partially located in Geary County.

There are approximately 15,000 active-duty soldiers stationed at Fort Riley. The largest unit is the 1st Infantry Division.