Person hit, killed on side of highway while waiting for a tow: Police say
A person was hit and killed by a passing car on a Kansas City highway as they waited for their own car to be towed early Sunday morning, according to police.
Officers with the Kansas City Police Department responded to U.S. Highway 71 at East 39th Street around 12:20 a.m. Sunday, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a KCPD spokesperson. The pedestrian was declared deceased on the scene of the crash, Gonzalez said.
Police believe that the victim had called a tow truck when they were experiencing mechanical issues and had been standing on the northbound shoulder of U.S. 71 as their car was lifted onto the tow truck, Gonzalez said. As the pedestrian stood on the side of the highway, a car going northbound allegedly hit and killed them, then fled without stopping, Gonzalez said.
The deceased victim has not been publicly identified by police as of Sunday morning.
Police are continuing to investigate the hit-and-run, which Gonzalez said was the 38th fatal traffic incident of the year, according to Kansas City Police Department data.
This story was originally published June 22, 2025 at 1:34 PM.
