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KCMO man pleads guilty in deadly crash following pursuit

Miguel Ayala
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man who caused a deadly crash while fleeing from police in February pleaded guilty to murder, according to Jackson County prosecutors.

Miguel Ayala, 33, pleaded guilty on Monday to a charge of second-degree murder, along with charges of resisting arrest and driving while intoxicated. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison on the charges stemming from the Feb. 19 crash, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Ayala initially was charged with counts of resisting arrest and DWI, but a grand jury later added the second-degree murder charge.

According to court documents, Kansas City police officers pursued Ayala after a woman said he had tried to strike her with his vehicle.

During the pursuit, Ayala struck a vehicle at 47th Street and Raytown Road, seriously injuring the driver of that vehicle and a 3-year-old child.

The driver, 38-year-old Rebecca White of Raytown, later died from injuries sustained in the crash.

According to court documents, Ayala had a blood-alcohol content of .347 after the crash and told detectives he was “so drunk” that he couldn’t remember what had happened.

For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the 41 Action News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the 41 Action News Mug Shot Policy.