Hit-and-run by semi-truck leaves Kansas City pedestrian in critical condition
A hit-and-run incident by a semi-truck with a tractor and trailer attached left a Kansas City pedestrian in critical condition on Tuesday.
The truck did not leave enough room for its attached cargo when it was turning onto Wilson Avenue near the Sheffield neighborhood in East Kansas City, according to the Kansas City Police Department. When the truck turned too sharply, the tractor and trailer went over the curb, through the median and onto the sidewalk, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a KCPD spokesperson.
The trailer smashed into the pedestrian before hitting a telephone pole and fleeing. Police are still determining whether the truck hit the pedestrian or ran them over, according to Gonzalez.
The pedestrian is currently at a local hospital with critical injuries, KCPD said. The identity of the driver remains unknown.
One hundred and forty-eight people died in traffic accidents in Missouri from January through the end of March 2024, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. In the same time frame in 2023, 170 died in traffic accidents in the state.
Just under 40% of fatal traffic accidents in Missouri in 2023 occurred at intersections, according to MoDOT.
This story was originally published May 7, 2024 at 5:12 PM.
