Independence police are investigating a deadly hit-and-run crash after a driver hit three people walking near Blue Ridge Blvd and Sterling Avenue in Independence. The crash killed one man on March 23.
Home video surveillance in the neighborhood could help police track down the driver who left the scene. Independence police are asking anyone with information about the crash to come forward.
Neighbors say crashes are common near Blue Ridge Boulevard and Sterling Avenue. Many neighbors have not forgotten a 2014 crash near the intersection that killed an 11-year-old.
On March 23 around 11:15 p.m., the hit-and-run wreck startled a couple who were inside their home at the time. “I didn’t know what was going on,” James Doll said. “We were inside watching TV when someone rang our doorbell. He said, ‘There has been an accident.’ That ‘they have been hit by a car.’”
Doll says they called 911 to get help. The pedestrians were walking along the street near the intersection when two cars came toward them. The driver of a silver car hit all three people and kept driving. “We don’t have sidewalks here and it’s just an ongoing problem,” Doll said.
He says many people walk along the roads near the busy intersection in their neighborhood. He believes sidewalks could possibly improve pedestrian safety. Other neighbors questioned if reducing the 40 mile per hour speed limit would help curb crashes.
“If they improved the lights and improved the crosswalks, I think that would definitely be helpful,” Doll said. “Those types of infrastructure improvements would only help.”
Anyone with information about the crash can call the Independence Police Department at 816-325-7300.