Mario Myers dies in fatal Kansas City crash

Mario Myers dies in fatal Kansas City crash

Fatal Kansas City crash death of Mario Myers

Fourteen-year-old Mario Myers, who had been reported missing early Thursday morning, was killed after being hit by a car while walking along eastbound Interstate 70 on Kansas City’s East Side.

Authorities say Mario was last seen around 3 a.m. near East 39th Street and Bales Avenue, and was believed to be in urgent need of medical care. Just over an hour later, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Kansas City police responded to reports of a pedestrian struck near Manchester Trafficway, less than four miles from where Mario had last been seen.

Investigators determined that Mario was walking in the middle lane of I-70 when he was struck by an eastbound white Chevrolet Malibu. He died at the scene. The driver was unharmed and remained on site, cooperating fully with authorities.

Mario’s death marks the city’s 35th traffic fatality of the year. For comparison, there had been 48 by this time in the previous year. Eastbound lanes of I-70 were closed for about two and a half hours while police conducted their investigation. The roadway has since been reopened.

The circumstances leading up to Mario’s presence on the highway are still being investigated.