A person died early Sunday after being pinned between two vehicles along Interstate 70 in Kansas City, according to police. The victim had done what drivers are told to do in an emergency, pulling onto the shoulder and turning on the hazard lights. It was not enough. A second vehicle came onto the shoulder and struck the stopped car while its driver stood beside it.
The Kansas City Police Department said a white Infiniti was stopped on the right shoulder of I-70 near Prospect Avenue, its hazard lights on. The driver had gotten out and was standing near the back of the car. A silver Ford then entered the shoulder and struck the Infiniti. The driver was pinned between the two vehicles.
The driver was rushed to a hospital in critical condition with severe injuries. They were then pronounced dead Sunday evening. Police haven’t released their name or gender to the public just yet. The Ford driver was also taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Investigators said impairment is believed to have played a role, though no findings or charges have been announced. The highway shoulder offers much less protection than it seems, and something to take away from this situation if you learn anything at all. That, and you should make sure you stay vigilant and aware when dealing with traffic going around you.
The Highway Shoulder Can Still Be Dangerous
The shoulder is there as a a place to get clear of moving traffic. But it may actually be one of the most dangerous places a person can be. When you step out of your car, you’re only standing a few feet from vehicles speeding by on the highway. In fact, federal law treats being struck after leaving a stopped vehicle as its own recognized category of crash.
But accidents can and do still happen. So if you must stop on a shoulder, get the vehicle as far from traffic as you can and turn on your hazards. Then move clear of the car, and not beside it. Call for help when you can, as well. Every extra minute on foot near fast traffic raises the risk. This casts no blame on the driver who died, who appears to have pulled over just as intended. The lesson is only that a shoulder offers much less safety than most of us assume, and that the drivers passing by hold much of the responsibility, which is what Move Over laws are for.
There’s plenty about the crash that’s still being investigating. No one has been charged, and the department has not said whether anyone will be. But for the time being, the most important takeaway is this: don’t get out on the shoulder unless you have to, stay vigilant, and keep an eye on where you are in relation to other traffic.