KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three people riding in a minivan were killed Monday afternoon when a semi-truck ran into stopped rush-hour traffic on 71 Highway near 19th Street in Kansas City, Mo., the Kansas City Police Department said.
The wreck happened a little after 3:15 p.m. Early findings from investigators show the person at the wheel of a white Volvo semi did not brake or stop as northbound traffic backed up ahead, and the truck hit three vehicles.
Six people were inside the gray Honda minivan that took the hardest blow. Two of its passengers died at the scene and a third died later at a hospital. Its driver and two other riders survived but suffered critical injuries.
A blue Honda CR-V was also struck, and its driver is in critical condition. The person driving a black Ford SUV was hurt as well and is listed as stable.
The crash left a long line of stalled cars at the height of the Monday afternoon commute, and drivers heading north were told to find another way around the scene while emergency crews tended to the injured, cleared the wrecked vehicles and handled the spill. Police have not released the names of the three people who died, and the investigation into what caused the semi to plow into the slowed traffic is ongoing.
Police detained the semi driver for investigation while the case continues. Firefighters worked to clean up fuel that spilled from the truck.
All northbound lanes near 19th Street were shut down after the crash, and the regional KC Scout traffic system expected the closure to last until about 8 p.m.
Section: More Kansas City MO crime news
Filed under: Kansas City MO Traffic News
