KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A police pursuit and several crashes led to the closure of southbound Interstate 35 in Pleasant Valley Tuesday morning.
The series of incidents began around 6:30 a.m.
Kansas City, Missouri, police said officers were pursuing a Ford F-350 truck that rammed a Claycomo officer and civilian vehicles. Clay County deputies responded to calls from Claycomo Police and attempted to deploy tire deflation devices, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
Missouri State Highway Patrol said the suspect was traveling north in the southbound lanes of I-35, and eventually exited at Pleasant Valley where he was taken into custody outside the QuikTrip. The suspect in custody is a 36-year-old white man.
Clay County Sheriff's Office said, prior to their deputies arrival, the driver abandoned his vehicle on northbound I-35 and got out and ran across southbound I-35.
The pursuit led to several crashes on both sides of the interstate trying to avoid the suspect, leading the southbound lanes to be shut down.
MSHP said there were injuries, but nothing serious or life-threatening.
Clay County Sheriff's Office said two people were injured in the crash, one with minor injuries and the other with moderate injuries. One of the injured has already been released from the hospital, and they expect the other to be released today.
Clay County deputies were not involved in the chase, but did provide traffic control at the scene, the sheriff's office said.
Neither the suspect or law enforcement officers were involved in the crashes.
