KANSAS CITY —A Kansas man faces 2nd Degree murder and other felony charges for the Oct. 2, crash in downtown Kansas City that killed two individuals, including a driver stopped at a red light, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.
Jose Angel Vega, 28, Kansas City, Kansas, faces two counts of Murder 2nd Degree for causing the deaths of two persons while he was fleeing from police, Resisting A Lawful Stop, two counts of Armed Criminal Action using his vehicle as a dangerous instrument while committing the felony of Murder in the 2nd Degree, DWI Resulting in Death and the misdemeanor of Driving While Revoked 1st Offense.
According to court records, about 3a.m. on Oct. 2, a Kansas City Police officer observed a 2004 Cadillac CTS doing donuts in the street. He attempted to stop the vehicle. It stopped, partially at Truman Road and Grand, then drove away northbound on Grand at a high rate of speed.
The vehicle traveled through a red light at 13th and Grand and the officer disregarded the stop and turned off emergency equipment. At 11th and Grand, the Cadillac struck a truck stopped at a red traffic light.
The officer detected the strong odor of alcohol from Vega, who was slurring his words and was confused. A later test of his blood showed a high level of alcohol.
A passenger in the vehicle was extracted from the defendant's vehicle but the passenger later died. The driver of the truck that the defendant's vehicle hit also died of injuries sustained in the crash. An accident investigation of the crash by KCPD showed the defendant's vehicle was traveling 103 miles per hour one second before he hit the truck.
Prosecutors requested a $500,000/10 percent bond.