Driver in wreck that killed Lee’s Summit man facing federal gun charge

A shooting victim involved in a Kansas City traffic crash that killed a Lee’s Summit man has been charged with illegally possessing a firearm.

Federal prosecutors charged Keith L. Carnes, 26, with being a felon in possession of a firearm after Kansas City police reportedly found a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun in his car at the scene of the Tuesday night wreck at 63rd Street and Prospect Avenue.

According to court documents, Carnes was driving south on Prospect at a high rate of speed when he ran a red light at 63rd Street and collided with a black pickup truck.

The driver of the truck, 24-year-old Patrick Mercer, was killed in the wreck.

When police officers got to Carnes’ car, he told them he had been shot and had blood on his shirt.

Inside the car, officers found a bag containing about 28 grams of marijuana and the gun on the floorboard, according to court documents.

There was blood on the gun, and a spent shell casing was jammed in the weapon.

Carnes has a prior felony conviction for second-degree assault and cannot legally possess a firearm.

This story was originally published September 2, 2016 at 10:39 AM with the headline "Driver in wreck that killed Lee’s Summit man facing federal gun charge."