Officials identify man killed in wrong-way crash in Platte County
Authorities have identified the 35-year-old man who died Wednesday in a head-on collision while fleeing deputies in a stolen pickup as Justin V. Burkholder of Kansas City.
The crash occurred about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday as Burkholder was speeding the wrong way on Interstate 29. The driver of the other vehicle, a 38-year-old Overland Park resident, was listed in serious condition.
Authorities said Burkholder had a suspended Missouri driver’s license. He was on probation on a theft conviction, and he had failed to show up for an April 15 probation revocation hearing in Wyandotte County District Court. A bench warrant had been issued for his arrest, according to court records.
Platte County sheriff’s deputies responding to call about a stolen 2007 GMC Sierra spotted the vehicle on I-29 near Kansas City International Airport. The pursuit continued into Clay County and then back into Platte City, where the pickup headed north in the southbound lanes of I-29.
The Sierra collided head-on with an SUV, which overturned. Both drivers were pinned in their vehicles.
Burkholder died at the scene.
| Glenn E. Rice, grice@kcstar.com
This story was originally published July 3, 2014 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Officials identify man killed in wrong-way crash in Platte County."