Lee’s Summit man charged with DWI in wrong-way highway crash that killed 1
A Lee’s Summit man has been charged with driving while intoxicated following an early March crash that left another man dead.
Joseph Cook, 34, has been charged with driving while intoxicated – resulting in death, after he crashed head-on with another vehicle while driving down the wrong side of the highway, police said.
“The defendant operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and acted with criminal negligence by driving on the wrong side of the road, and as a result caused death to Kevin Daniels,” charging documents from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office read.
On March 6, at about 10:30 p.m., the Lee’s Summit Police Department began getting calls about someone in a pickup truck driving east in the westbound lanes of U.S. 50 near NW Colbern and NW Chipman roads, according to charging documents. Police were also told that there was a crash in the area, with at least one vehicle in flames. Eight witnesses reported such to police.
Police arrived at the scene and found two pickup trucks that had collided head-on. A fire engulfed the engine and passenger area of the red pickup, driven by Daniels. Several witnesses who had been driving in the area stopped to offer aid. They were able to help rescue Cook from his truck, but couldn’t get close to the red pickup truck because of the intensity of the flames, according to the charging documents.
Members of the Lee’s Summit Fire Department who arrived on scene extinguished the fire and found Daniels dead inside the red truck.
Cook was taken to the hospital by ambulance, at which point a paramedic told police he could smell “a strong odor of alcohol on Cook’s breath when he would speak,” court records show.
The paramedic told police that Cook told him he was coming from a bar at the time of the crash, but didn’t say where or what he drank, according to court records. He also told police that Cook had slurred speech, and that it looked like he hit his head during the crash.
An officer who met Cook at the hospital said Cook admitted to having three drinks, and made the comment: “I’m sorry for the lost family member,” and “I made a huge mistake and will be proven in court of law,” charging documents show.
Cook was then arrested for driving while intoxicated. A toxicology report later showed Cook to have had a blood alcohol level of 0.261 the night of the crash, according to court records. Missouri’s legal level while driving is 0.08.
Cook’s attorney’s could not immediately be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
