KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County prosecutors allege a man who struck and killed a woman riding a scooter last September was speeding just before the crash.
Just before noon on Sept. 26, 2024, Kansas City, Missouri, police received a call to respond to the intersection of E. 51st Street and Troost Avenue on reports that a pedestrian crossing Troost was struck.
Police and paramedics arrived to find a woman who had been riding a scooter across Troost had been struck by a driver going northbound on Troost.
The woman, later identified as University of Missouri - Kansas City student Yuxi Wu, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she died from her injuries.
Last month, prosecutors charged the driver of the vehicle, Irving Sanders, with one count of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Wu’s death.
Court documents reveal that Sanders was traveling at least 48 miles per hour just before he started braking in an attempt to avoid striking Wu. The speed limit on Troost in that area is 35 miles per hour.
Sanders remained on the scene following the crash and cooperated with investigators. Court documents indicate he told police that he had made several lane changes to avoid traffic as he headed northbound on Troost.
The death of Wu, who had just started her first semester toward obtaining a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance, left the UMKC campus devastated and led to renewed calls for safety improvements at the intersection.
Several days after the crash, a UMKC student launched a safety petition to spur improvements at the intersection. You can watch KSHB 41’s Isabella Ledonne’s story about their effort below.
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