Police chase claims yet another life

 

Two police pursuits in less than 24 hours involving speeding motorists and police officers from the Independence Police Department have led to two deaths.

Thursday night a 17-year-old bicyclist was struck by a car being chased by police. Early Thursday morning a 40-year-old man from Lee's Summit was killed when he lost control of his car while being chased.

Thursday night's pursuit began shortly before 8 p.m. at 39th Street and Lee's Summit Road when the driver of a red car intentionally rammed a white car, officials said. The driver of the white car began chasing the other vehicle south on Lee's Summit Road, and a police officer who witnessed the incident joined the chase.

The cars headed west on Interstate 70 before exiting and traveling north on Noland Road. The driver of the white car abandoned the chase after realizing the police were in pursuit. The driver of the white car was not arrest but may face charges, police say.

The driver of the red car used the center turning lane at Osage Street and Noland to pass cars that were stopped at a red light, speeding through the intersection, where the vehicle struck the 17-year-old on the bicycle. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. His name has not yet been released.

Independence Police spokesperson Tom Gentry said the driver of the red car was intent on evading the pursuing officers.

"They went blowing by the officer at a high rate of speed," Gentry said. He added officers were intent on apprehending the suspect and didn't realize the bicyclist had been struck.

The chase ended at a dead end off Noland Road. Two occupants of the car tried to escape into a wooded area but were caught by police with the aid of a helicopter and police dogs.

The names of the suspects have not been released as of press time this morning.

Gentry said the driver of the red car used the vehicle as a deadly weapon. In Independence fleeing from a police officer is a misdemeanor unless the driver assaults someone with a vehicle or uses it as a weapon in any way.

Gentry said the police car had no dashboard camera. He added the pursuit would be reviewed.

In Thursday morning's incident, Anthony L. Jones of Lee's Summit may have been going close to 140 mph when he lost control of his car in Raytown following a brief pursuit from Independence police early Thursday morning.

A video tape from a police officer's dash camera provided by the Independence Police Department shows Jones speeding excessively through Independence before the late model Pontiac he was driving went airborne over a brick wall, crashing into a basketball goal, overturning and landing between two houses in the 5900 block of Sterling Avenue in Raytown.

The chase started around midnight in Independence at U.S. 40 and Sterling Avenue when a police officer tried to pull Jones over after seeing the Pontiac, with no license plates, at a high rate of speed. Jones was wanted in Grandview and had a revoked license. He crashed about a minute into the pursuit.

Video from the police officer's dash camera showed that the officer never caught up to the Pontiac.

Another police pursuit involving Independence police Oct. 31 lead to a fatal crash as well. Daniel A. Barreto, 20, of Richmond was racing another motorist on U.S. 24 when an officer tried to pull over the 1996 Nissan Sentra that Barreto was driving. The Nissan turned on to Crysler Avenue then eventually back onto U.S. 24 and overturned just west of Wilson Road.

Gentry said each pursuit would be reviewed by a accident review board.

"(The pursuits) are very disturbing and upsetting," Gentry said. "My heart goes out to the family and friends of the people who this has happen to."

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