Speed, alcohol likely factors in Platte County crash that killed Park Hill senior
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office has released more details into Sunday’s fiery car crash in rural Platte County that left one Park Hill High School senior dead.
Tessa Walker, 18, was killed in the crash near Farley, Missouri, that left four other teenagers injured.
The sheriff’s office responded to Missouri Highway 45 near North Main Street just before 4:30 a.m. Sunday, when a 2024 BMW M4 that had been traveling south left the roadway, Capt. Jeffrey Shanks, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said in a news release Monday.
In a updated press release Friday, Shanks said the BMW had been traveling over 100 mph when the driver, 18-year-old Om Patel, lost control of the coupe. After leaving the highway, the car overturned before catching fire on the highway’s shoulder.
While details of what led up to the crash are still under investigation, Shanks said, the sheriff’s office believes “excess speed and alcohol were contributing factors in the motor vehicle crash.”
The Star is not naming the other people who were in the BMW at the time, as no criminal charges have been filed.
After the investigation is complete, it will be forwarded to the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office, which will review the incident and decide whether criminal charges will be filed, Shanks said.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to The Star’s request for comment Friday.
In an email sent to families Tuesday afternoon, the Park Hill School District remembered Walker as a “dedicated student and a talented athlete, active in volleyball, girls’ flag football and track.”
She planned to attend Northwest Missouri State University in the fall, the email said.
“Tessa was special to so many at Park Hill High School; her passing leaves a hole in countless hearts,” Lindsey Hood, a teacher and volleyball coach at the high school, said in the email.
A memorial service for Walker will be at 11 a.m. March 30 at Vineyard Church, 12300 NW Arrowhead Trafficway, according to her obituary.
A candlelight vigil will be held at the Park Hill High School football field at 8 p.m. Friday.
This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Speed, alcohol likely factors in Platte County crash that killed Park Hill senior."
