1 dead, 2 critically hurt in wrong-way crash on I-670 in downtown Kansas City
A wrong-way crash on Interstate 670 in downtown Kansas City early Sunday killed one person and critically injured two others, and police suspect both drivers were impaired, a spokesperson said.
The crash occurred about 2:45 a.m. on westbound I-670, where it passes under Locus Street, said Officer Alayna Gonzalez of the Kansas City Police Department.
A preliminary investigation found that a white Kia Optima was traveling east in the westbound lanes of I-670. As the Kia crossed several lanes, it was struck by a black Chevrolet Avalanche, Gonzalez said.
Three passengers in the Kia suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash. They were taken to a hospital, where hospital staff pronounced one of them dead. The other two remained in critical condition on Sunday.
The drivers of the Kia and the Chevrolet were uninjured in the crash.
All lanes of westbound I-670, which makes up the south part of the downtown loop of highways, remained closed for four hours while police investigated the crash. The highway has since reopened.
The death is the city’s 29th traffic fatality of the year, compared to 24 at this time last year.
This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 11:49 AM.
