KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man and woman were killed Christmas Day when the driver of a stolen pickup truck ran a stop sign and crashed into their car.
The crash happened about 1:45 p.m. at North 17th Street and Orville Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.
Nearby neighbor, Patrick Cotter, says it's a tight-knit neighborhood and many residents ran outside to see if they could help - but it was too late.
“I just, I couldn’t believe it-it was an elderly couple too," Cotter said. "A stolen truck that hit them and they lose their lives on Christmas? That’s sad. My heart goes out to them.“
The victims were identified by the Kansas Highway Patrol as Mario Madruga, 89 and Delia Madruga, 85, both of Kansas City, Kansas.
Several neighbors say they saw presents in the back of the car, and you could still smell the woman's perfume, as if she had just put it on to leave.
Police said a man called their dispatch center a few minutes before the crash to report he found his stolen pickup truck at North 25th Street and Grandview Boulevard.
Two people were in the 2002 Ford F-250 pickup truck when officers arrived, police said.
The pickup truck hit a police car as it sped away, police said.
The officers were not injured.
The driver of the stolen pickup truck ran a stop sign at North 17th Street and Orville Avenue, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol report.
The pickup truck struck the driver's side of the Madruga's 2009 Cadillac DTS, the report states.
The impact sent the Madruga's car into a tree in a nearby front yard, the report states.
The Madruga's were wearing their seat belts, the patrol report states.
The 22-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, man driving the stolen pickup truck ran from the scene.
Police know his name and are searching for him.
The 26-year-old passenger was arrested.
