Holden community mourning after teen killed, 5 others injured in Lee’s Summit crash

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — A small community is reeling Wednesday night after five teens were hospitalized in a crash and a sixth teenager was killed.

Troopers were back on the scene investigating after the crash killed a 15-year-old Tuesday night.

A 19-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

It happened in eastern Lee’s Summit at Milton Thompson Road where it almost intersects with Highway 50.

There are questions from community members about whether the lack of lighting, the barriers allowing for a car to still pass through played a part. Or if it was simply a bad combination of young drivers and drugs or alcohol.

Though everyone involved lived a half hour away from the crash scene in Lee’s Summit, word spread quickly in Holden, Missouri of a crash that killed a 15-year-old whose name has not been released and put five teens ages 17 to 19 in the hospital.

“I think that’s part of the mourning process I think as we mourn the young man and the ones that are still in the hospital everyone wants answers to their questions,” Covenant Church Pastor Michael Wakeman said.

The crash was reported Tuesday just after 9 p.m. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the drivers of a Chevy Cobalt and Honda HR V were heading South on Milton Thompson when the Missouri State Highway Patrol says the teenage drivers both ran the stop sign of the outer road to Highway 50.

They went up the short steep hill and became airborne. The Chevy landed upside down, a passenger was ejected.

The Honda landed on the complete other side of the highway striking the passenger thrown from the car.

“Teenagers, they got to slow down. I understand that there was barriers there might be something that was involved in the situation that they didn’t see it or there was something going on,” said Donna Johnson, whose daughter attends gymnastics near the crash scene.

The 19-year-old driver of the Chevy was arrested on suspicion of DUI, an arrest report lists drug intoxication.

Holden High, where we’re told the boy killed would have been a sophomore next year says many of the victims are current or former students.

It’s enacted a crisis response plan saying counselors will be on hand should any staff or student feel the need to seek their services.

“You need to get your emotions out whether they are good or bad and make sure you do that with a trusted adult you can lean in on and lean in on your faith too,” Wakeman said.

Barriers to both sides of the highway seem to have been knocked down by the crash as well as signs informing drivers this is only for emergency vehicles. FOX4 will be checking with the Missouri Department of Transportation to see their plans to replace them as we’ve noticed several cars using the road illegally.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.