Kansas City street racers allegedly shot woman taking child to hospital for emergency
Two Kansas City men are accused of chasing down and shooting at a car carrying two small children — one of whom was reportedly experiencing a medical emergency — after being involved in a crash while they were performing street stunts on Interstate 70 earlier this month.
Noah Miller, 23, and Nicholas Benkowich, also 23, face felony charges of aggravated assault and unlawful weapon use, records in Jackson County Circuit Court show. The pair were arrested after investigators connected them to the crimes by reviewing Facebook posts among other things.
According to court records, Kansas City police responded around 2:30 a.m. on June 12 to the area of 13th Street and I-70 on a reported injury accident. When officers arrived they found one vehicle that had been struck several times by gunfire and one person who was shot in the right arm.
The people in the shot up car told police they encountered a so-called sideshow -- an event where street racers gather to perform dangerous stunts, often on public roads. One of the victims reported that she had told the street racers of the emergency and she was ignored and assaulted, court records show.
She returned to her car and attempted to drive through the sideshow, but collided with Miller’s vehicle. After the crash, Miller and his passenger, Benkowich, allegedly pursued the woman’s vehicle at a high speed. There were two kids in the car, ages 6 and 8, court records show.
Kansas City police stationed at 39th Street and Broadway Boulevard saw the chase and heard about seven gunshots. Officers responded and found the woman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to an area hospital and both Miller and Benkowich fled the scene, documents said.
Police discovered social media posts where the pair spoke about being hit during the “side show” and not letting whoever hit them get away. Pictures on social media also showed them in the same car seen firing gunshots and fleeing the area on surveillance footage, documents said.
Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office requested a $25,000 bond for Miller and $50,000 bond for Benkowich.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed to this report.
