dune buggy accident in KC, 83 and I35

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Dune buggy crash kills man at Johnson County office park
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Both sides claim political edge after decision to raise taxes Disc golfer hopes JCCC course takes off Dune buggy crash kills man at Johnson County office park Police seeking person of interest in liquor store homicide Blue Valley team competes in National Mathcounts Competition Police responded about 5:30 this evening to a fatal dune buggy accident at 83rd Terrace and Flint Street, just west of Interstate 35 in Lenexa.

A 26-year-old man died in the crash, authorities said. Another man about the same age was taken to Overland Park Regional Medical Center in critical condition with head injuries.

Lenexa police said the victims may have been test-driving what appeared to be a custom-made dune buggy.

Police said they thought the victims worked in the area, and some of their friends, who gathered at the scene tonight, said at least one victim worked at the House of Boost, a nearby performance auto shop.

“It’s just a shock,” said Jeremy Willert of Kansas City, Kan. “I wouldn’t expect this to happen to either one of them guys. They know their limits.”

After the accident, the maroon dune buggy could be seen overturned in a parking lot outside Building 29 in the Pine Ridge West business park. The right-front passenger wheel was severely bent.

Officers suspect the buggy was going north on Flint and was unable to make a sharp left turn onto 83rd Terrace. Instead it went over a landscaped embankment and overturned in the parking lot.

Both men were ejected, police said, and it appeared they weren’t belted in.

“Had they been wearing a seatbelt, they would have just been banged up a little bit,” said Lt. Gerry Cullumber of the Lenexa Police Department.

About 7:30 p.m., a woman and a man rushed up an embankment to the accident scene, but officers stopped them. Later the woman begged officers to give her a description of the victim. Then she began to cry and hugged her companion, as she stood about 50 yards from the red tarp that covered the body.

Willert said a lot of friends were just waiting to get details about what happened.

“I think everybody just wants some information about what’s going on, and nobody is really saying anything.”

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| Brad Cooper, bcooper@kcstar.com

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