Crash critically injures 2, shuts down Independence intersection for hours
Two drivers were critically injured when three vehicles crashed at an intersection in Independence Friday evening, according to a police spokesman.
The crash occurred about 5:20 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 40 and Sterling Avenue in southwest part of the city, said Sgt. Steven Boles with the Independence Police Department.
According to a preliminary investigation, a Ford Escape was headed east on U.S. 40 when it collided with a Ford F-250 truck that was headed north on Sterling. The force of the impact pushed the truck into a Toyota Avalon as the northbound vehicles were in the intersection.
An ambulance took three of the four people involved to local hospitals. Two of the drivers, who did not appear to be wearing seatbelts, remain hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, Boles said.
Most of the intersection remained closed for nearly five hours while police investigated the crash. The incident remains under investigation.
This story was originally published November 1, 2025 at 11:15 AM.
