Amazon responds after child killed by delivery van in KC; driver allegedly left scene
Amazon said Tuesday it will cooperate with Kansas City police after one of its delivery vans allegedly struck and killed a child under 5 and the driver left the scene before officers arrived.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the child’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” Jesus Garcia, Amazon’s public relations manager, said in an email. “We’ll cooperate fully with the Kansas City Police Department in their active investigation and defer to them for additional details.”
The fatal crash occurred about 6:25 p.m. Monday in the 1800 block of East Third Terrace in the Pendleton Heights neighborhood, said Capt. Jake Becchina of the Kansas City Police Department.
A preliminary investigation found that the Amazon driver had just delivered a package and was headed west on Third Terrace toward Woodland Avenue.
The child, who had been playing in the grassy area of Maple Park, entered the street and was struck by the Amazon-branded delivery vehicle. The driver stopped, but then allegedly left the scene before officers arrived, Becchina said.
A family member chased after the vehicle to another stop and told the driver what had just happened. The driver allegedly denied being involved and left the area, Becchina said.
The child died from the injuries suffered in the crash, Becchina said.
Kansas City police investigation
The investigation remains ongoing, Becchina said shortly before noon Tuesday, adding the information released Monday night being the most current available.
Investigators are making headway identifying a “subject of interest,” he said. The vehicle involved is believed to be a marked Amazon delivery van.
Becchina declined to answer other follow-up questions, including whether Amazon was cooperating with the investigation, whether this is considered a hit-and-run crash, and whether the van involved had been found or seized. He said the answers to those questions are part of the ongoing investigation.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas urged drivers to use caution while driving near city parks in a post on social media Tuesday morning.
“Please slow down while driving near our parks,” Lucas said in the post on X, formerly Twitter. “We should never have to bury a three-year-old who was playing at the park. Control what you can control. Keep your eyes open for our young people and our pedestrians of all ages.”
This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 11:59 AM.
