By Paul Thompson

Northeast News

January 24, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – A fatal car wreck that occurred at the intersection of St. John and Askew just after 7:30 p.m. on the evening of Sunday, January 15 – originally considered single-car accident – is now being considered a homicide.

According to the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, the victim in the incident has been identified as 35-year-old Shaymaa Saudi. On Tuesday, January 24, KCPD confirmed that a suspect has also been identified. The case has been submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office, where a decision on charges is still pending.

The incident left a child passenger in Saudi’s vehicle with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The child was in a booster seat in the back seat of the car at the time of the wreck.

One witness at the scene told the Northeast News that she heard what sounded like a race car in the moments before the fatal crash.

“I was in my room, and I hear racing,” said Northeast resident Amanda Sanchez. “I asked my son what it was.”

Sanchez said that her son saw a black truck in addition to the car driven by the victim. KCPD independently verified that a black truck was involved in the crash. After the wreck, Sanchez said that she saw the black truck circle back around the scene more than once before taking off.

“The truck slowed down and went back around a couple of times. People started coming out, and there was a lot of commotion,” said Sanchez. “The last time he came around, we tried to get his license plate. It was (raining), so we couldn’t tell.”

Though specifics still remain scant, Sgt. Kari Thompson of the KCPD Media Unit confirmed last week that the incident is no longer considered an accident.

“We are now working this as a homicide. That’s our most recent information regarding this,” said Thompson. “We do know that there’s another vehicle involved.”

Thompson said that as witnesses spoke to the police department, it became apparent that the incident was more than an accident. She added that police now believe the wreck was caused by a ‘purposeful event that resulted in a death,’ but noted that the investigation was not being conducted by the Homicide Unit.

“It’s still being worked as a homicide,” said Thompson. “The Accident Investigation Unit is taking the lead on the investigation, but it still will be part of our homicide numbers.”

The initial report released by KCPD on the morning of Monday, Jan. 16 said that a woman’s vehicle was traveling west on St. John when, for unknown reasons, it left the roadway and made contact with a metal utility pole. After being transported to a local hospital, the driver of the vehicle – later determined to be Shaymaa Saudi – was pronounced dead.