KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A driver is dead after striking a utility pole Tuesday morning during a pursuit that ended in Independence.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Andy Bell shared a state trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a black Jeep after witnessing a traffic violation near U.S. 40 Highway and Crysler Avenue.
The driver of the Jeep fled the trooper and a pursuit ensued, Bell said.
The Independence Police Department placed stop sticks near 23rd Street and Sterling Avenue. The Jeep ran over the stop sticks and crashed into a utility pole.
The driver of the Jeep, identified by MSHP as 31-year-old Austin Brewer, was pronounced deceased.
MSHP said the passenger of the vehicle was transported to an area hospital. The extent of the passenger's injuries is not known.
23rd Street was closed between Sterling and Harvard avenues while officials processed the scene of the crash, per IPD. The scene was cleared prior to 8 a.m.
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