KC man charged in fatal wreck that killed Lee’s Summit rugby player

A Kansas City man was charged Thursday in connection with a fatal three-car wreck that killed a man in August.

Keith L. Carnes was charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with one count of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Patrick Mercer. Prosecutors requested a cash bond of $50,000.

According to court documents, Carnes was driving south on Prospect Aug. 30 at a high rate of speed when he ran a red light at 63rd Street and hit a black pickup truck driven by Mercer, a 24-year-old rugby player from Lee’s Summit.

Mercer was killed in the wreck.

After the crash, police discovered a bag inside Carnes’ car that contained about 28 grams of marijuana and a gun on the floorboard, according to court documents. Prosecutors allege toxicology reports at the hospital showed Carnes had cocaine, marijuana and PCP in his system.

He was indicted in federal court in September and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and with two counts of being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm.

Carnes is also accused of being in possession of a Glock .45-caliber pistol on Feb. 10, 2013.

It’s a federal crime for anyone convicted of a felony or who is an unlawful user of a controlled substance to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

Two prior felony convictions for assault prevents Carnes from legally possessing a firearm.

This story was originally published January 12, 2017 at 5:06 PM with the headline "KC man charged in fatal wreck that killed Lee’s Summit rugby player."