KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Neighbors are calling for safety measures to be implemented after a deadly crash at the corner of east 35th Street and Norton Avenue left three dead and six injured Tuesday.
Andrew McCartney says a typical day in his neighborhood is a dangerous one.
“There’s speeding down here daily, multiple times a day,” McCartney said. “In the middle of the night, they’ll shoot into the woods, they’ll overtake cars by going into oncoming traffic.”
Tuesday was no different.
KCPD says Tuesday’s crash between a blue Kia Soul and a white Chevy Tahoe left three dead and six injured.
Reports show the Kia was stolen and was speeding when it attempted to pass the Chevy on the left side.
After crashing into the Chevy, the Kia hit a utility pole and flipped over the corner of 35th and Norton.
Investigators say eight people — including several children — were inside the Kia at the time.
Neighbors like McCartney say they ran out of their homes and over to the scene to help when they heard the crash.
“Right after we heard the car flying fast, we heard impact, and I said, ‘Well, that sounds like a bad accident,' so I came out and came to inspect the damages, and it looked really bad,” McCartney said. “Just blood and bodies everywhere.”
Marques Johnson was getting in his car just a few doors down when he saw the entire crash unfold.
“I was the first person on the scene, so I just ran straight to the car. I tried, I thought about pulling the kid out, but the way the car was, it wasn’t safe to pull the kid out,” Johnson said. “I literally broke down in tears, cause I seen a kid hanging out the car, like, all I could do was cry.”
A day later, the image still lingers.
From there, he said he called 911, but he said it felt like 20 minutes had passed before any agency arrived on the scene.
“Honestly, I don’t think they came fast enough,” Johnson said.
McCartney says it’s a struggle getting any help out there at all.
“I’ve made multiple reports throughout the couple years that I’ve lived here, and nothing seems to get done,” McCartney said. “I get on the myKCMO app, I report about the sidewalks and the curbs and people speeding.”
KSHB 41 found the requests he made on the app for ourselves, a few of which are still active.
“Just on August 2nd, I made, let’s see, 5 reports,” he said as he showed KSHB 41’s Rachel Henderson his complaints.
He and Johnson say an incident like Tuesday’s was bound to happen due to the neglect they’ve seen in their neighborhood, but it didn’t have to.
“It just makes me sick to me stomach the way it happened, and it all could have been prevented,” Johnson said.
They both say this and incidents like it make them want to move out, especially when it concerns children.
“I have a five-year-old of my own, that’s why it really hurts,” Johnson said. “We have to keep these kids strapped in like car seats, booster seats, whatever they need to be in. They need to be strapped up.”
They’re still hoping for more safety measures like speed limit signs and speed bumps, but they also are calling on their community to step up for the sake of the youth.
“Take better care of these kids and drive safe and take it easy, life’s too short,” McCartney said.
—
KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.