Detectives with the Kansas City Police Department are investigating a fatal crash in the area of Mark L. McHenry Park, formerly known as Tiffany Springs Park.
Authorities say the fatal crash occurred near a gravel patch at about 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 23.
The victim, 19-year-old Gabriel Valdez of Independence, was riding in the bed of a pickup truck when he was ejected near the east entrance to the park, located at the intersection of NW Old Tiffany Spring Road and N. Childress Ave.
Police spokesperson Sgt. Jake Becchina said Valdez was transported by a private vehicle to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Police ask anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the crash to contact Det. Richardson at (816) 482-8192.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, motor vehicle crashes continue to “constitute a chronic national health care crisis,” resulting in more than 35,000 deaths and millions of injuries each year.
For decades, Mark L. McHenry Park has been a place where folks go off-roading in Jeeps and pickup trucks. The terrain is quite hilly, and the gravel paths are not maintained.