KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The father and daughter killed in a car accident near Holmes and 106th Terrace on Thursday have been identified as Justin D. Williams, 32, and Jazmine J. Harris, 14. Two others — children — were injured. The accident happened around 5 p.m. Thursday.
Kansas City police said Williams, driving a black Chevrolet car, lost control and crashed head-on into a large tree on the opposite side of the street.
“The tree completely stopped the car, which is probably fortunate for any residents in the house, which is just a little bit west of the tree,” said KCPD Accident Investigator Sgt. Bill Mahoney. “There’s a possibility had it not been there that the car would have run into the house.”
Police said Williams was speeding northbound on Holmes Road when he hit a curb and then rear ended a green car in front of him.
“We do have witnesses that observed them, about five or six blocks south of where the collision occurred and he was driving — he was driving at a pretty accelerated rate of speed, but no apparent reason for it,” Mahoney said.
The impact of the crash spun the green car around and sent Williams’ car head-on into a tree on the opposite side of the street. The driver of the green car was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Police said three other passengers were unharmed.
Williams and Harris died on impact. Two girls in the backseat, 13 and five years old, are being treated at Children’s Mercy Hospital, according to police.
Police did not know the conditions of the two girls Thursday night.
“As far as something like this you never get use to it. It’s going to be tough for the people who survived this because it’s just hard for me to fathom what they are going to go through,” Sgt. Mahoney said.
Police have not identified the people involved. Investigators will be back on the scene Friday, continuing to investigate and hoping daylight will help provide more details.