Family finds body in woods 4 days after 19-year-old man fled from crash in Grandview
Family and friends searching for a 19-year-old man who is believed to have run from a wreck last week found a body in a wooded area near the crash site Sunday, Grandview police said in a release.
Police are presuming the body is that of the missing driver from the crash, which occurred Wednesday night, according to the release.
Grandview police responded to a head-on collision in the 13700 block of Byars Road, which is near the Meadowmere Park, said Det. Sgt. Dean Van Winkle, a spokesman for Grandview police.
One of the drivers ran from the crash. Officers investigating the crash searched for the driver, but weren’t able find him. They even flew a drone over the area looking to see if the drone’s infrared camera could locate him. But that was unsuccessful too, Van Winkle said.
Family members on Friday reported that a 19-year-old man who had fled the wreck had not been seen since the crash. Officers returned to the area and searched on foot as well as flew multiple drones over the area searching for him, again without success, Van Winkle said.
Family and friends of the missing man searched the area on Saturday and then returned on Sunday to search, which is when they found the body in woods in the 13500 block of Byars Road, Van Winkle said.
“They told us, ‘You know we were right here yesterday and we didn’t see him,’” said Van Winkle.
He had not yet seen photos of the location where the body was found so he didn’t know what prevented the discovery for four days.
Police are waiting to release of the victim’s name pending positive identification by the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s office, which will also determine the cause of death.
