Driver dead, passenger injured after police chase ends in crash in Independence
A driver died after a police pursuit ended in a crash early Tuesday in Independence.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper tried to stop a black Jeep around 2:49 a.m. on U.S. Highway 40 at South Crysler Avenue, the highway patrol wrote on X.
As the trooper pursued the Jeep, Independence police deployed stop sticks on South Sterling Avenue just south of East 23rd Street.
The driver lost control after hitting the strips and crashed into a utility pole. They were found dead at the scene. A passenger in the vehicle was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries.
The driver allegedly committed multiple lane violations and was suspected of driving while intoxicated, troopers said.
Independence police said 23rd Street was closed between Sterling and Harvard avenues in both directions Tuesday morning for the investigation. It has since reopened.
Grace Barker, a resident of the neighborhood where the pursuit ended, said she knows of other chases that have occurred in the area in recent years. In general, drivers buzz through the area at high speeds, she said.
“They drive like maniacs out here,” she said.
MSHP’s policy is one of 28 such law enforcement policies around the metro area that allow officers and troopers to pursue a vehicle for almost any offense, according to an investigation by The Star. These broad policies often create risks to public safety that outweigh the benefits of a potential arrest, according to many policing experts.
Other police departments, like Grandview, only allow for pursuits when there’s a suspected felony offense.
The Star’s investigation also found that almost half of police chases in Independence in 2022 started on five high-traffic roads. Those included U.S. 40 Highway, 23rd Street, Noland Road, U.S. 24 Highway and Truman Road, and 46 of those chases ended in crashes.
The Star’s Katie Moore, Glenn Rice and Nathan Pilling contributed to this reporting.
This story was originally published June 4, 2024 at 8:29 AM.
