Kansas City police searching for SUV used in hit-and-run crash that killed bicyclist
Update: Kansas City police on Tuesday afternoon said they located the suspect vehicle but were still searching for the driver.
The person who struck and killed a bicyclist in Kansas City over the weekend before fleeing the scene was believed to be driving a white SUV, police said Monday.
Detectives working the case believe the suspect was driving a white Acura MDX made between 2017 and 2020, Sgt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department said in an email Monday morning.
Kansas City police reported Saturday that a bicyclist was killed after being struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run at about 6:17 a.m. near the Metropolitan Community College’s Longview campus.
The bicyclist was traveling south on View High Drive near the intersection of Longview Road when they were hit by a car also heading south, Capt. Leslie Foreman with KCPD said. The vehicle then fled the scene.
Police believe there is damage to the SUV’s right front passenger side and the vehicle’s grill area, Becchina said. The SUV was last seen headed south on View High heading toward Lee’s Summit.
According to multiple social media posts and a GoFundMe made Sunday, the bicyclist was Charles Criniere, a teacher, husband and father of 10.
“Charles passionately followed Jesus. His love for Jesus was infectious,” reads the online fundraiser page created to help support Criniere’s family. “He was a devoted husband and father who deeply loved his family.”
Criniere is listed as a teacher at Martin City K-8 Schools.
Administrators at the school and school district could not immediately be reached Monday morning, but several donors to the GoFundMe posted that he was a kind and encouraging teacher.
Salt n Light Ministries, a mobile church based in south Kansas City and Grandview, posted on Facebook that Criniere, a member of their team, led with a compassion.
“We know Criniere had a serious outreach heart and as he stands in heaven now there’s nothing he’d rather have us doing today than getting out and reaching and loving on people and would want us to tell people tomorrow is not promised to them,” the church posted on Facebook Sunday.
As of Monday evening, the online fundraiser had collected more than $126,00 in donations.
Anyone with information on the hit-and-run is asked to contact Det. Chad Rives with KCPD’s traffic investigation unit at 816-482-8296 or email chad.rives@kcpd.org. Anyone who wishes to stay anonymous can call Crime Stopper’s anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
This story was originally published August 29, 2022 at 11:11 AM.
