Man facing charges after older couple killed in south KC crash
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man is facing charges after an older couple was caught in the middle of a suspected street race and killed in south Kansas City last year.
The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office this week charged Cortez Hamilton, of Kansas City, with two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of 91-year-old Verne Zugenbuhler and 72-year-old Diana Zugenbuhler.
The crash happened just before 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2024, at Carondelet Drive and Wornall Road. An initial report from Kansas City police said that a Chrysler 300 and a Dodge Charger were racing south on Wornall Road from 99th Street.
Kansas City tattoo artist helps self-harm survivors find beauty in brokenness
At the same time, the Zugenbuhlers' Honda HRV was turning left onto Carondelet Drive. The Chrysler struck the front right corner of the Honda, causing it to spin out of control and killing the couple.
The Dodge car did not stop. It is unclear if police ever located the vehicle or contacted the driver of the Dodge.
The driver of the Chrysler, identified in charging documents as Hamilton, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
In an interview with Kansas City police the next day, Hamilton said he was trying to get away from another vehicle that he thought was chasing him.
Hamilton told police he was driving 50 to 60 mph when he crashed the car, though witnesses said that it appeared the cars were going faster than that and weaving in between other vehicles.
KCPD's Accident Investigation Section later found that the Chrysler was recorded going 104 mph prior to the collision, and at the impact of the crash, it was recorded at 79 mph in a 40 mph zone, according to charging documents.
The prosecutor's office filed the charges on Wednesday, and a warrant has been issued for Hamilton's arrest.
No court date has been set as of Thursday afternoon.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Car that led police, troopers on chase ends up in ‘chop shop': Report
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Police and state troopers found a little more than they bargained for Monday night after a chase led them to other suspicious vehicles. Just before 11 p.m. Monday, the Youngstown Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol had officers out on patrol in the area of Boston and South Avenue when reports state a black BMW sped past them. Authorities attempted a traffic stop, but the BMW sped off at around 80 mph on South Avenue before turning onto Midlothian Avenue. Officers called off the road pursuit due to the unsafe conditions, but the OSHP continued to follow the BMW with its aviation unit. Reports state aviation tracked the car speeding around 112 mph on Shirley Road to Wilson Avenue, to Federal Street, before it turned onto Andrews Avenue and pulled into a business garage in the 1100 block of Andrews. Reports state the BMW nearly hit another vehicle in the area of South and Hilton Avenue, ran red lights and passed other cars during its attempt to flee. Officers surrounded the business and called for all occupants to come out, where they detained two men. Aviation units relayed to officers that one of the men, Derrian Thomas, was the driver of the BMW, and the other man was the passenger. Police arrested Thomas on a charge of failure to comply. When speaking to the other man, reports state he told police that he was the owner of the business at 1104 Andrews Avenue. OSHP troopers on the scene were then informed of a 'chop shop' located near Andrews Avenue in connection with other investigations, according to reports. Police say the owner gave them permission to enter his business to retrieve the BMW involved in the chase. When they went into the building, reports state officers smelled an 'overwhelming' odor of marijuana and observed a 'large quantity' of marijuana inside the truck of a Dodge Charger. Police also observed marijuana in a Chevrolet Sonic, which reports state was registered to the man. Also inside the garage was a Jeep 'riddled with bullet holes,' in which police found two firearms, reports state. When questioned about the large amount of marijuana inside his shop, the owner reportedly told police that someone had dropped off both the Jeep and Dodge for body work, but claimed he could not provide their name and 'had essentially no idea who they were,' according to reports. He also claimed to know nothing about the firearms or who they belonged to. Due to the marijuana and firearms, police had the Jeep and Dodge towed, as well as the BMW involved in the chase. Reports state the Jeep and Dodge were both registered to one person; however, court records do not reflect any charges against that individual at this time. Thomas is set to appear in Youngstown Municipal Court on the fleeing charge Wednesday afternoon. Court records do not show any charges against the owner of the business at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pedestrian dead after being hit while walking along Murfreesboro Pike
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A pedestrian died after he was struck by a minivan on Murfreesboro Pike near Edge O Lake Drive Tuesday night, according to Nashville authorities. The Metro Nashville Police Department said the preliminary investigation indicates a Dodge Caravan was heading southbound when it hit a man, who was walking in a traffic lane, around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10. Community remembers woman killed while walking dog in Germantown Law enforcement reported the 44-year-old man was brought to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he died. Officials are working to notify his family. Police said the driver of the Dodge stayed at the scene, adding that there were no signs of impairment. ⏩ No additional details have been released about Tuesday night's collision. Meanwhile, authorities told News 2 on Wednesday, June 11 that there have been 39 fatalities from crashes so far this year, including five pedestrians and six motorcyclists. For the sake of comparison, there were reportedly 116 deaths from crashes, 33 of whom were pedestrians, in 2024. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
NYPD footage captures callous home invaders who allegedly posed as Amazon workers, tied up mom, dad and 3 kids
New NYPD footage captures the callous pair of home invaders who allegedly posed as Amazon workers, tied up an entire family – including three kids – and made off with thousands of dollars in a Queens heist earlier this week. The clip, released by police Tuesday night, shows both perps wearing baseball caps – one carrying an Amazon box and the other wearing a bright-yellow vest – as they casually strolled down the quiet Whitestone block Monday morning. An unsuspecting 43-year-old man answered the door of the single-family home on 12th Avenue near 152nd Street around 7:40 a.m. Monday, before the perps rushed inside – one armed with a gun, authorities said. 3 One of the suspects can be seen toting an Amazon box, and the other wearing a bright yellow vest. NYPD They then forced the family – also including two women, 39 and 18, and two boys, 10 and 5 – into the basement, cops said. The money-hungry fiends tied up the victims and stretched duct tape over their mouths before they ransacked the home, swooping up about $16,000, jewelry, and electronic devices, police said. The brazen duo used the victim's own car, a silver Chrysler minivan, as the getaway vehicle. The car was found abandoned two blocks away, police said. 3 The crew forced the family — including three kids, 5, 10 and 18 — into the basement, cops said. NYPD Witness John Nardone told FreedomNewsTV at the time that he had just climbed out of his car to get to work when he saw the terrified father running out of the house tugging at duct tape on his face. 'I said, 'are you ok?'' Nardone said. 'He said his kids were in the basement.' 'I was wondering if this was real, because of that,' the witness added. 'I've never seen something like that, like a guy come out of his house with duct tape all over his face.' The NYPD is still looking to track down the pair of robbers. 3 The brazen duo allegedly stole about $16,000, jewelry, and electronic devices from the home, cops said. NYPD Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at or on X @NYPDTips.
