Driver killed in highway patrol police chase identified by Kansas City police
The Kansas City Police Department has identified a man who died Monday in a police chase with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Around 2 a.m. Monday, the highway patrol tried to pull over a driver in a white Jeep Grand Cherokee for an alleged traffic violation, according to KCPD.
The driver, identified as 46-year-old Quintrell D. Monroe, did not stop and traveled at a high speed on East 33rd Street. At 33rd and Indiana Avenue, Monroe ran off the road and hit two telephone poles and a tree.
He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased. He was not wearing a seat belt.
Monroe is at least the fourth person to die this year after police chases in Kansas City. A suspect and an innocent bystander died in a January crash on Interstate 435 near Missouri 210 highway.
Another driver died in a crash last month at Linwood and Van Brunt boulevards.
An investigation published earlier this year by The Star found that on average, more than three chases take place in the metro every day. Pursuits routinely exceed 100 mph, with some chases reaching 130 mph, a review of police reports showed. Officers often pursued drivers for trivial violations and in dangerous conditions, including poor visibility.
Many experts, including officials with the Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C., say police chases should only be allowed when a violent crime has been committed and there is an imminent threat to safety.
In 2022, there were over 150 crashes and 51 injuries as a result of chases in the Kansas City area.
