One person was killed and two others were injured after a single-car crash in Kansas City, Missouri, Wednesday morning.
Police were called to an overturned vehicle near Hillcrest and Oldham shortly after 4 a.m.
According to officials, a speeding SUV left the roadway, went down an embankment and hit several trees.
Authorities confirm a 20-year-old backseat passenger was killed on impact. Officers say the other two people involved in the accident suffered critical and serious injuries.
Police say SUV left roadway, no brakes, flipped, went down the embankment and hit several trees. Passenger in back seat died.@41actionnews pic.twitter.com/7dUDScGWfy
— Richard Sharp (@RichardKSHB) January 25, 2017
Bruce Singleton lives nearby. He told 41 Action News he’s seen several crashes at Hillcrest and Oldham in recent years.
"We have people dying out here,” said Singleton. "This might be a wakeup call.”
The KC native said even his son drove off that same curve into the ravine a few years back and wants some kind of safety measure up as soon as possible.
"He had an accident. It was raining I believe. It was slick and he ran into the ravine,” he said.
According to KCPD, there have been 42 other injuries and another 48 non-injured in crashes at Hillcrest and Oldham since 2010.
CRASHES FROM 2010 - PRESENT
FATALS = 2
INJURIES = 42
NON INJURIES = 48
41 Action News asked the city of Kansas City what would need to happen for some kind of safety measure to be put in place at the intersection. Beth Breitenstein, public information officer with the city of Kansas City Public Works, said a Kansas City Police crash analysis would need to officially designate the dangerous curve as a “problem area” first.
She also said following today, after learning about the extraordinary number of crashes that have occurred at the intersection, the city will approach KCPD about what should be done.
"A fatality, we do not take that lightly, nor does the police department,” said Breitenstein. "We're working with them [KCPD] and kind of identifying what, how to move forward and anything the city can do to make it a safer thoroughfare."
Breitenstein said any funding for a new guard-rail or any other safety measure at Hillcrest and Oldham would come from PIAC funds (Public Improvement Advisory Committee).
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