Bicyclist in Independence hit-and-run crash dies; driver jailed on DWI charge
A bicyclist critically injured in a hit-and-run crash involving an alleged drunken driver in Independence has died, Independence police said in a news release.
The victim was identified as Clanton D. Perkins, 53, of Kansas City, Sgt. Steven Boles with the Independence Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit said in the release.
Prior to Perkins’ death, Jackson County prosecutors charged the driver, 25-year-old Flor M. Sales-Narjarro of Independence, with leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, a felony, and driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. She was being held in Jackson County jail on a $100,000 cash only bond.
The crash occurred about 1:30 a.m. Dec. 22 along the westbound lanes of 23rd Street just west of Liberty Street, police said. A westbound Honda Civic collided with Perkins, who was also headed west on 23rd.
Police were dispatched to the scene after someone called in a black car “dragging a bicycle” westbound on 23rd Street near Crysler Avenue, according to a probable cause statement.
A couple minutes later, an officer found Perkins lying in the westbound lanes of 23rd street. Several people were standing around him, though none saw the crash, according to court records.
Perkins was taken to a hospital where he was put on a ventilator and in an induced coma after suffering from a “large brain bleed,” along with several broken bones, court records show. He later died.
Soon after Perkins was found in the street, police located the bicycle more than two miles west of where Perkins was lying. A short time later they found Sales-Narjarro a few blocks further down the road, court records say. She had glass cuts on her hand, and her windshield was shattered, according to the probable cause statement. She was taken into custody soon after.
Her blood alcohol level was found to be .127, court records show.
Sales-Najarro did not have any previous DWI offenses, police said. She also did not have a Kansas or Missouri driver’s license.
This story was originally published December 24, 2020 at 12:20 PM.
