With prom and graduation season approaching, police urge parents to talk to teens about dangers of speeding and set a good example.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department has identified the victim of Saturday night’s fatal, two-car crash in the 6700 block of Parallel Parkway.
Boyd Knight, age 16, a resident of Kansas City, Kansas, was killed when the vehicle in which he was a passenger was struck around 11:20 p.m. Saturday.
Both drivers, as well as a second passenger in the same vehicle as Knight, were transported to area hospitals in serious condition. All three, ranging in age from 13 to 19, remain hospitalized, but are expected to recover.
Officers discovered the crash shortly after it occurred. Kansas City, Kansas EMS was immediately dispatched and pronounced Knight deceased on scene. The initial investigation indicated that the vehicle that struck the car carrying Boyd may have been speeding.
“On average, speed is a contributing factor in one-third of all traffic fatalities,” Nancy Chartrand, public information officer with the Police Department, said. “Not all speeding is about intentional risk-tasking – sometimes it’s simply due to inattentiveness or inexperience.
“Right now, we are heading into prom and graduation season – a time of the year when teens may be more focused on friends and celebrating than driving,” she said. “Sadly, it is also a time when we see a rise in fatal accidents involving teens. That is why we are pleading with parents to have a real, sit-down conversation with their teens about the consequences of speeding and distracted driving. We are also asking parents to look at how they may be contributing to the problem by texting as they drive, speeding themselves or purchasing their teens vehicles known for acceleration and speed. Teens simply do not have the self-control to not test the limits of fast cars. It’s really a bad combination.”
This incident is currently under investigation by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department Traffic Unit. Police urged anyone with information on this case to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).