Kansas man charged in triple fatal car crash in Platte County

A Kansas man is facing charges after causing a wrong-way driving crash in Platte County, Missouri, this week that killed three people.

Kyle Anthony Waymon Mendez, 35, was charged with three counts of vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident in connection with a July 11 crash on Interstate 29.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol accident report said the accident occurred shortly after midnight on I-29 and involved two vehicles traveling in opposite directions.

Preliminary investigation by the Missouri Crash Investigation Unit indicates that a 2017 Ford Edge driven by Mendez of Topeka, Kansas, was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes when it collided head-on with a southbound 2007 Honda Odyssey.

The Honda Odyssey left the road and crashed into a concrete barrier.

Joel Similien, Sheyla Similien and Michelet Metellus, all in the Honda Odyssey, were killed in the accident.

Four other people were injured in the accident, two of whom were classified as seriously injured.

In probable cause documents accompanying the charges, authorities noted that Mendez was driving the Edge that had been taken from his grandparent the day before without his permission.

By the time authorities arrived at the scene, Mendez had already fled the area on foot.

Mendez was eventually located by a drone in a nearby bean field, where he was holding on with a stick.

Mendez was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, where he was questioned by police. According to documents, Mendez told officers he was on his way to St. Joseph when he changed his mind, pulled the vehicle into the median and headed north in the southbound lanes.

Mendez said he thought he was on a two-lane road and was initially unsure why vehicles were coming toward him on the road.

Mendez also said he checked on the occupants of the other vehicle before fleeing the scene of the accident, and he ran because he didn’t think anyone would believe his story.

Court records reveal criminal past

Court records show that Mendez has an extensive criminal history, including a burglary at a restaurant called Cabela’s in Kansas City, Kansas, and gun theft in 2018.

According to court documents, the weapons included two 12-gauge shotguns, a .22-caliber rifle, a .308-caliber rifle and a .223-caliber rifle.

Mendez is currently facing a theft and drug charge in Douglas County, Kansas, which was filed two months ago.

He also has previous convictions in Johnson County, Kansas for drunk driving, reckless flight from a police officer, and minor drug and traffic offenses.

Investigators are now checking whether Mendez was driving under the influence of alcohol in the current case.