Two injured in crash after fleeing traffic stop in stolen car: Police
Two people were seriously injured Wednesday night when a stolen car lost control after an attempted traffic stop in Sugar Creek, according to police.
The car, a 2011 Hyundai Sonata, was speeding when it drove through Sugar Creek on Sterling Road around 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to Sgt. Jeff Buck, an Independence police spokesperson.
Sugar Creek is just west of Independence, with a population of around 3,200.
Sugar Creek police tried to stop the car, which sped away, Buck wrote. The driver then lost control and crashed into two telephone poles, injuring the driver and a passenger.
Both had to be extracted from the car by emergency responders, who transported them to a local hospital.
Speeding was the primary cause of 3,481, or 2%, of traffic crashes from May 2023 to May 2024 in Missouri, according to state data. Of crashes caused by speeding, 45% ended in at least one injury.
Highway crashes involving police vehicles have also been a particular danger to Kansas and Missouri drivers. More than 320 people have been injured in police chases in the past 5 years in the Kansas City metro, a Star investigation found.
The Sonata was reported stolen from Grandview, according to police.
Sterling Road was closed overnight near Winner Road while the utility poles were repaired, police said. The road opened around 11 a.m. Thursday.
