A pedestrian was struck and killed by a driver late on Tuesday, June 11.
The crash occurred near the intersection of 67th Street and Troost around 11:30 p.m. According to authorities, the victim was sitting on a bench at the bus stop when the driver of a dark gray Impala went off the road and crashed into the bus stop.
The driver exited the vehicle and fled the scene. The victim, identified as 59-year-old Mark D. Hovey, was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
“We wish to extend our condolences to the family of Mr. Hovey,” said Eric Rogers, executive director of BikeWalkKC. “We also ask the public to help in bringing the driver to justice for this heinous crime.”
“The unfortunate truth is that we’re not doing enough to ensure that vulnerable road users, especially pedestrians and transit users, are protected,” noted BikeWalkKC policy coordinator Michael Kelley. “Until we treat these crashes and these deaths with the collective sense of urgency they need, this will continue to happen.”
As BikeWalkKC has stated in the past, what deserves the brunt of the blame for these crashes is the culture that values car traffic efficiency over the safety of human lives.
For more information, contact Karen Campbell, director of development and communications, at (816) 205-7056 (ext. 2) or by email at karen.campbell@bikewalkkc.org.
Police are looking for Nicholas Hammond, aged 30. If you have any information about the crash, please call Detective Richardson at (816) 482-8192 or the TIPS hotline at (816) 474-8477.
BikeWalkKC believes that crashes are not accidents and clothing is not an excuse.