Charge filed in fatal crossover accident

A 20-year-old Lee’s Summit man was charged with involuntary manslaughter Tuesday and accused of being drunk in a crossover accident that killed a man Monday afternoon in Clay County.

Joseph C. Surratt is charged in the death of George Sykora, a 45-year-old Kansas City man. According to court documents, Surratt’s blood-alcohol content more than an hour after the crash was .225, nearly three times the legal limit.

Witnesses said Surratt’s Pontiac Sunbird was northbound on North Woodland Avenue about 2:15 p.m. and was passing vehicles at 60-85 mph in a 35 mph zone. Police said Surratt crossed the center line at the crest of a hill, clipped a pickup truck and then collided with Sykora’s Toyota Corolla.

Sykora died at a hospital. The pickup driver was uninjured. Surratt had non-life-threatening injuries. He was in jail Tuesday with bail set at $50,000. The felony charge carries a 5 to 15-year sentence.

This story was originally published April 22, 2014 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Charge filed in fatal crossover accident ."