A Parkville man has been charged with killing a Park Hill student in a crash allegedly involving very high speeds and alcohol.
Om Patel, 18, is accused of involuntary manslaughter in the second degree after allegedly driving over 100 miles per hour with alcohol in his system immediately before the crash on Highway 45 near Farley on March 22.
Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said charges were filed on Friday, June 5, following an investigation by the Platte County Sheriff’s Office.
Patel
According to court documents, Patel was driving a BMW with four passengers after having consumed alcohol. He was speeding on a road with a 45-mile per hour posted limit and a single-car roll-over crash followed. First responders found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames and Patel covered in blood stating “I drove and killed her.” Once extinguished, police found one passenger dead inside and another with moderate injuries.
An analysis by the Platte County Sheriff’s Office Crash Investigation Unit estimated that Patel’s BMW was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour at the time the car left the roadway.
A passenger of the BMW, 18-year-old Park Hill senior Tessa Walker, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the BMW, Patel, was transported to a local hospital.
A warrant was issued last week for Patel’s arrest in the amount of $25,000. If convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the second degree, Patel faces up to four years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Rioux.