Driver crossing highway after crash struck, killed by hit-and-run semi in Johnson County
Update: The man killed in the hit-and-run crash involving a semi was 50-year-old George G. Abasta of Olathe, a police spokesman said Monday afternoon.
A driver trying to cross Interstate 435 in Johnson County following a crash with another vehicle died after being struck by semi truck early Monday, an Overland Park police spokesman said.
The man killed in the crash was identified as 50-year-old George G. Abasta of Olathe, police said Monday afternoon.
Police continue to look for the hit-and-run driver of the unidentified semi, said Capt. Gary Mason with the Overland Park Police Department. Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the semi truck driver.
About 1 a.m. Monday, officers responding to a crash along eastbound I-435 near Metcalf Avenue found an injured pedestrian, later identified as Abasta, lying on the westbound side of highway, Mason said. They performed CPR on Abasta, but he was declared deceased by medical personnel.
A preliminary investigation revealed that there was a crash involving two vehicles in the eastbound lanes. Abasta was one of the drivers involved in the crash and attempted to cross to the west side of I-435. The semi struck the person and continued on without stopping, Mason said.
Westbound I-435 was closed at Metcalf while the Overland Park Police Department’s traffic safety unit investigated the crash. The highway has since reopened.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has additional information is asked to call the Overland Park Police Department at 913-895-6300.
This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 7:13 AM.
