Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for 2017 crash that killed KC mother

A 22-year-old man accused of running a mother off the road and causing a fatal wreck in 2017 pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence, according to the Jackson County prosecutor’s office.

Juan L. Sanchez, of Kansas City, was charged last year in connection to the crash, which killed Shaymaa Saudi, 35, and injured her 4-year-old daughter.

The crash happened at the intersection of St. John and Askew avenues in Kansas City on Jan. 15, 2017.

Court records said Saudi’s husband had been in an altercation with Sanchez before the crash.

Prosecutors allege Sanchez, driving a truck, then went after Saudi, who was driving a Dodge Charger with her daughter in the backseat.

During the chase, Sanchez’s truck tapped or hit the Dodge, and the car lost control, went off the road and struck a utility pole. Saudi was taken to a hospital but died from her injuries.

Sanchez didn’t stop at the crash scene. Instead, court records said he parked the truck near a family member’s house, removed his license plates and put a tarp over the truck.

Sanchez was charged last year with one count of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, two counts of armed criminal action, first-degree assault, leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with evidence.

The prosecutor’s office said Sanchez pleaded guilty to two of those charges on Wednesday: involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 19.