SUV fleeing police collides head-on with pickup in east KC; Five injured, some seriously

An SUV fleeing police crashed head-on with a pickup truck on Blue Parkway in east Kansas City Sunday, injuring five people, some of them seriously.

A man and a woman were in the SUV. The woman was ejected in the crash about 8:20 p.m. near Bellaire Avenue.

Three people in the pickup truck were injured, including a 13-year-old girl.

The injuries were serious but not considered life-threatening, said Sgt. Bill Mahoney, a supervisor of accident investigation at the Kansas City Police Department.

Independence police began the chase near U.S. 40 and Pittman Road, saying that a person in the SUV was wanted in connection with an aggravated assault case, Mahoney said.

The pursuit began about 8:15 p.m. while an Independence police officer on routine patrol pulled inot a parking lot of a motel in the 9800 block of East U.S. 40, according to Independence police.

The officer saw a gray Ford Escape quickly accelerate from a parking spot and strike two people standing in the parking lot. The two pedestrians were not seriously injured, police said.

The SUV, which police determined to be was stolen, fled from the officer.

The pursuit led into Kansas City with the SUV traveling at speeds up to 75 mph along 63rd Street. It then sped north on Interstate 435 before heading back west on Blue Parkway.

The SUV crossed the center line and hit the pickup head-on, Mahoney said.

This story was originally published January 7, 2018 at 8:31 PM with the headline "SUV fleeing police collides head-on with pickup in east KC; Five injured, some seriously."