Teen critically injured after being struck by semi in highway construction zone in KC
A teen remained in critical condition at a hospital Thursday morning after being struck by a hit-and-run driver of a semi truck in a construction zone on Interstate 29 in Kansas City, North, a police spokesman said.
The crash occurred about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday as the teen was walking in the construction zone next to the right lane of southbound I-29, said Capt. Corey Carlisle with the Kansas City Police Department.
The crash is the second hit-and-run crash this week to critically injure a juvenile. On Tuesday night, a juvenile was injured while walking in the 10100 block of East 42nd Street on Kansas City’s East Side.
In the latest crash, a semitractor trailer struck the teen just past the bridge that crosses over Northwest 72nd Street. The driver of the truck failed to stop and left the scene, continuing south on I-29.
The teen was taken to a hospital with critical injuries. Police were looking for the driver and the semi involved in the crash.
Anyone with information about the crash or the whereabouts of the driver and semi truck is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
The construction zone is for the replacement of the twin bridges that carry I-29 over Northwest 72nd Street in the area. The bridges, which have reached the end of their service lives, carry a combined six lanes of highway traffic through the area.
The construction project began this spring and required I-29 to be reduced to two lanes of traffic through the construction zone. Also, Northwest 72nd Street between Northwest Prairie View Road and Roanridge Road have been closed as well as the ramps from 72nd Street to both northbound and southbound I-29.
Crews have demolished the northbound I-29 bridge and are currently working second phase of the multi-phase project. The $6.9 million project is expected to be completed by the end of this year and is proposed to include 5-foot bike lanes in both directions and a 6-foot sidewalk along the eastbound lanes of Northwest 72nd.
With Northwest 72nd Street closed, traffic is being detoured to Northwest 64th Street and Northwest Barry Road.
