Updated: Thursday, June 15, 11:15 a.m.
Merriam Police and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a crash that left one driver critically injured early Thursday morning.
The crash happened just after 1:30 a.m. near Antioch Road and Shawnee Mission Parkway.
According to recorded radio traffic, an officer spotted a dark-colored car, later identified as a black Ford Fusion, driving south in the 5400 block of Antioch Road at high speed.
It’s unclear if the officer attempted to stop the speeding vehicle.
Radio traffic indicates that the officer came upon the crash shortly after it happened and immediately requested ambulances.
A statement from Merriam Police says the Ford Fusion struck a gray Honda Accord that was stopped at the intersection on southbound Antioch.
The 19-year-old male driver of the Honda Accord was critically injured, according to Police.
Overland Park firefighters worked for about ten minutes to safely remove him from his car. Johnson County Med-Act transported that man to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
The driver of the Ford Fusion, a 24-year-old male, suffered minor injuries and was taken into police custody at the scene.
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office booking logs show that Merriam Police arrested a Grain Valley, Mo., man at 2:15 a.m.
He’s being held on pending charges of DUI and Aggravated Battery with Great Harm.
A female passenger in the Accord also suffered minor injuries and was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries.
The intersection remained closed while Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputies documented the crash scene but reopened for traffic by 7:30 a.m.
Merriam Police say the incident remains under investigation.
Mike Frizzell is a freelance crime and fire reporter who runs Operation 100 News.
