Kansas Highway Patrol asks for help identifying vehicle involved in fatal hit-and-run crash

JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KCTV) - A fatal rear-end collision turned into a hit-and-run Tuesday night, prompting the Kansas Highway Patrol to ask the public’s help identifying a car involved.

The crash happened around 5:45 p.m. and involved a blue Chevrolet Corvair and a red or maroon Chevrolet Suburban.

The KHP crash log details that the incident happened as the two cars were merging onto northbound I-35 off 75th Street.

The Suburban was merging in front of the Corvair but when the Suburban slowed for traffic ahead of it, the Corvair was unable to stop in time. The Corvair hit the back of the Suburban and then ran off the road to the right, hitting the right side barrier wall. The Suburban then fled the scene.

The driver of the Corvair was an 81-year-old man who was taken to an area hospital with suspected minor injuries. His 79-year-old wife riding in the passenger seat sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead shortly after the crash occurred.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the Chevrolet Suburban is asked to contact Lieutenant Gustavo Ramirez at 913-782-8100. The Suburban’s Missouri registration plates read “LD4 Z8U” and it is believed to be a late 90s or early 2000s model vehicle.

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