Driver in wreck that killed Lee’s Summit man faces additional charges

A Kansas City man injured in a shooting before allegedly causing a fatal three-vehicle wreck that killed another motorist was indicted by a federal grand jury on additional firearms charges.

Keith L. Carnes, 27, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and with two counts of being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm in a three-count indictment returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury.

The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint filed Sept. 1.

Carnes was originally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm after Kansas City police reportedly found a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun in his car at the scene of the wreck Aug. 30 at 63rd Street and Prospect Avenue.

According to court documents, Carnes was driving south on Prospect at a high rate of speed when he ran a red light at 63rd Street and hit a black pickup truck.

The driver of the truck, 24-year-old rugby player Patrick Mercer of Lee’s Summit, was killed in the wreck.

When police officers got to Carnes’ car, they found a bag containing about 28 grams of marijuana and the gun on the floorboard, according to court documents.

Federal prosecutors also say Carnes was in possession of a Glock .45-caliber pistol on Feb. 10, 2013.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony or is an unlawful user of a controlled substance to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

Carnes has two prior felony convictions for assault and cannot legally possess a firearm.

He remains in federal custody without bond.

This story was originally published September 21, 2016 at 7:32 PM with the headline "Driver in wreck that killed Lee’s Summit man faces additional charges."