Driver charged with murder in fatal wrong-way crash on I-35 in Johnson County
A 38-year-old man was charged Friday with second-degree murder for allegedly driving the wrong way on Interstate 35 in Johnson County and colliding with another vehicle, killing the other driver.
William Carter of Kansas City also faces one count in Johnson County District Court of driving under the influence of alcohol for allegedly causing the April 3 crash that killed Andrew Alan Hixson, 34, of Mission.
According to investigators with the Kansas Highway Patrol, Carter showed signs of alcohol consumption after the crash about 2:37 a.m. on I-35 near 67th Street in Merriam.
In a crash report, a highway patrol investigator indicated they observed signs, such as an odor of alcohol, staggering or slurred speech, that Carter had been drinking.
Shortly before the crash, a motorist had called police to report a vehicle was heading the wrong way on the interstate.
According to the patrol, a 2008 Infinity driven by Carter was headed southbound in the northbound lanes. It collided with a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Hixson. Carter was injured and was treated at Overland Park Regional Hospital. Hixson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Neither driver was wearing a seat belt.
The highway patrol conducted the crash investigation and the Merriam Police Department investigated possible driver impairment. Investigators collected a blood sample from Carter.
Carter is scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon. Bond was set at $500,000. Court records did not list an attorney for Carter, and efforts to reach him for comment after the crash were unsuccessful.
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 12:28 PM.
