KC man faces involuntary manslaughter charge in fatal crash with pedestrian
A Kansas City man is facing involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors say he “failed his duty to exercise the highest degree of care” after fatally striking a pedestrian in southeast Kansas City last June.
Curtis Harper faces one count of second-degree involuntary manslaughter stemming from a fatal pedestrian crash in the intersection of E. 31st Street and Prospect Avenue on June 5, 2025, according to a news release from Jazzlyn Johnson, director of communications for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Officers with the Kansas City Police Department were called to the area just after 9 a.m. on reports of a pedestrian fatality crash, according to a probable cause statement filed in support of the charges against Harper.
An investigation revealed a white Ford F250 pickup truck pulling a trailer was turning when it fatally struck a pedestrian as he was crossing E. 31st Street in a marked crosswalk, the statement said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Video footage from the intersection showed that the pedestrian entered the intersection against a “do not walk signal,” the statement said. The F250 slowed down in the turn lane, “clearing traffic,” before the pedestrian was struck.
At the scene, Harper told investigators that he was listening to GPS directions on his phone and he and the three others in the truck were heading to a job site, according to the probable cause statement.
He reportedly admitted to striking the pedestrian, telling investigators he “heard several people yelling, ‘hey, hey, hey,’” prior to the incident, the statement said. Harper said he never saw the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
Harper allegedly admitted to using marijuana earlier that morning, but denied drinking alcohol, the statement said. A blood test later tested positive for cannabinoids.
Following the investigation, an officer determined that while the pedestrian failed to obey the crosswalk signal, Harper “failed his duty to exercise the highest degree of care while operating a vehicle in an area of high pedestrian volume.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Harper is not in custody in Jackson County, according to the Jackson County Detention Center’s inmate listing. He will face a $5,000 bond. No further court dates are set in the case.
