2020 on pace to be deadliest on KCMO roads

2020 on pace to be deadliest on KCMO roads

HONOR.THE VELLA FAMILY IS JUSTONE OF DOZENS OFFAMILIES IN KANSAS CITY --GRIEVING AFTER THEIRLOVED ONE WAS KILLED INA CRASH.IT'S A HEARTBREAKINGPHONE CALL POLICE HAVETO MAKE -- AND THENUMBER OF CALLSTHEY'VE MADE ISSTAGGERING.71 TRAFFIC DEATHS INKANSAS CITY SO FAR THISYEAR ACCORDING TOPOLICE.A NUMBER WELL ABOVEWHAT WAS MADE LASTYEAR AT THIS TIME OF 49.IN A STORY YOU WILLONLY SEE HERE -- 41ACTION NEWS REPORTERANDRES GUTIERREZ GOESON A RIDE ALONG WITHKANSAS CITY'S TRAFFICUNIT -- AS THEY SHARETHEIR CONCERN FORDRIVERS ON THE ROAD.Briana Quye/Gabriel's friend/My heart fell to my stomachbecause I just couldn't believeitBRIANA QUYE WILLALWAYS REMEMBERGABRIEL VALDEZ AS A KINDYOUNG MAN.

THEYBECAME FRIENDS AFTERMEETING IN A CLASS ATWILLIAM CHRISMAN HIGH.Briana Quye/Gabriel's friend/He always made me happHe made anybody else happyaround him.ON JULY 23RD THE 19-YEAR-OLD HAD BEENRIDING IN THE BED OF APICKUP TRUCK AT THE OLDTIFFANY SPRINGS PARK.SOME TYPE OF VIOLENTIMPACT THREW VALDEZFROM THE TRUCK ONTTHE GRAVEL ROAD.POLICE WEREN'T CALLEDINSTEAD SOMEONE LEHIM AT A HOSPITAL.THE ARMY NATIONALGUARD RECRUIT SPENTDAYS IN A COMA BEFOREDYING.Briana Quye/Gabriel's friend/You never know when some ofthese lives going to endbecause there's somethingstupidVALDEZ WOULD BE THE62TH PERSON TO DIE THIYEAR BECAUSE OF ATRAFFIC CRASH.2020 IS ON PACE TO BETHE DEADLIEST ONKANSAS CITY MISSOURIROADS THAN IN THE LASTSIX YEARS.Sgt.

Grant Ruark/KCPD, TrafficEnforcement Unit/Less motorists on the roadyou would think that fatalitieswould go down but that's notthe caseSGT.

GRANT RUARK WITHK-C-P-D'S TRAFFICENFORCEMENT UNITNOTES THE NUMBERSREVEAL THREE BIGREASONS--PEOPLE ARECHOOSING TO NOT WEARTHEIRSEATBELTS...THEY'RESPEEDING...AND IN SOMECASES--GETTING BEHINDTHE WHEEL UNDER THEINFLUENCE.Sgt.

Grant Ruark/KCPD, TrafficEnforcement Unit/you know they alwaysthink that the fatalitieshappen on the highways andthey can drive how they wanton city streets and not wear aseat belt.

That's not the caseTHE ALARMING RISE INDEATHS IS PROVOKINGACTION.Sgt.

Grant Ruark/KCPD, TrafficEnforcement Unit/visibility itself helps us beingout there and sitting on theside of the roadways andbeing visible to motorishelps curb speedsA TASK THE UNIT'S 50 ORSO OFFICERS LIKE BRIANKAISER TACKLE EVERYDAY.you're were at 81.

And it's 65do you have your driver'slicense with you and someinsurance?Give you a break on 81?

It's16 overDRIVERS LOOKING MAKE ADEAL WITH OFFICERKAISER ARE COMMON ASARE THEIR EXCUSESOfficer Brian Kaiser/KCPD,TrafficEnforcement Unit/I'm running late or i'm keepinup with flow of traffic isanother one that's it'scommonly heard.LIKE THIS ONE.I usually pay attention to whatI'm doing.

I got over to passand I just lost track of it tobequite honestTwo people going about thesame speed as me right nextto me.

So I can't say, youknow, I shouldn't be speedingeither wayTHE PANDEMIC HASN'THELPED ANYONE SLDOWN.Sgt.

Grant Ruark/KCPD, TrafficEnforcement Unit/i think the general attitude istraffic is more open so weleave a little later go a littlefaster.BUT AS THE SAYING GOESIT'S BETTER TO BE LATETHAN NEVER.Officer Brian Kaiser/KCPD,TrafficEnforcement Unit/It's one of the the mostdespised things to do on thispolice department.

I mean,nobody wants to tellsomebody else that they'rethat their loved one haspassed away from eithersomeone else that was drivingaggressively or themselveswas was driving aggressively.THE CRASH THAT TOOKGABRIEL VALDEZ'S LIFEREMAINS A MYSTERY.NO ONE HAS BEENARRESTED OR CHARGED.POLICE CONTINUESEARCHING FORWITNESSES.HIS FRIEND WANTSJUSTICE BUT ALSO WANTSOTHERS TO BE SAFE.Briana Quye/Gabriel's friend/Just really think about whatyou do because it did happlate at night so you need to bemore careful and think aboutwhat you're going to dobecause that resulted in himlosing his life.IN KANSAS CITY.

ANDRESGUTIERREZ.

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