Vehicle strikes tree, killing 1 in KCK, police say

One person died early Friday after their vehicle sped away from officers and struck a tree in Kansas City, Kan., police say.

The fatal crash was reported at North 27th Street and Hickam Drive at about 3:19 a.m., Kansas City, Kan., police said in a tweet.

Officers saw the vehicle stopped on 27th Street at Parallel Parkway in the middle of the driving lane and pulled behind the vehicle to talk to the driver, police said later in a news release.

The driver saw the officers and allegedly sped away.

Police say the vehicle traveled north, “continually accelerating,” until it hit a tree.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not released the driver’s identity.

The crash remains under investigation by the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department’s Traffic Support Unit.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call investigators at 913-596-3000.

This story was originally published August 10, 2018 at 7:21 AM.