KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – Two car burglary suspects are in the hospital after leading police on a high-speed chase and crashing. The crash also sent a Kansas City, Kansas, couple who was caught in the middle of the police chase to the hospital.
Mia Billings, one of the victims, spoke with KCTV5 from her hospital bed on Monday night.
“My glasses flew off my face. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t comprehend what was going on,” Mia said.
Billings and her boyfriend were struck by the suspects who were fleeing from police on Kansas Avenue.
The chase began after police spotted the suspects near the Legends Outlets. Investigators said they’re wanted in connection with at least 20 car burglaries in the area.
“Their mode was to pull up to a vehicle that was parked, they would break a window out, hurry up, go through the window and start taking items from those vehicles,” said Chief Deputy Kent Anderson with the KCKPD Patrol Bureau.
Near 98th and Parallel, a police officer recognized the suspect’s vehicle and began to pursue it. The chase proceeded from the Legends area to southbound on I-435.
“The speeds were the highest as they got to around 100 mph on the highway,” said Anderson.
It eventually ended at 84th and Kansas Avenue where, moments before, Mia and her boyfriend were headed to lunch.
“My boyfriend was driving, so he did the ‘look left then look right.’ He didn’t see anything and so he started to make his turn,” said Mia. “Before he could even register there was a car coming at him as fast as it was, it hit us.”
The suspect car flipped as it slammed into the truck Mia and her boyfriend were in.
“We didn’t see him and by the time we saw him he was pretty much making contact with our vehicle,” said Mia.
Now, Mia and her boyfriend have a long road to recovery. However, they are thankful they have the chance to recover at all.
“It’s hard to believe we made it out with as minor injuries as we had,” said Mia.
The KCKPD said the suspect’s vehicle was also stolen. It was stolen on Aug. 22 from the North Kansas City area, where investigators believe more cars were broken into.
Police are now reviewing stolen property recovered from the suspect vehicle in an effort to piece together the crime. The suspects are not in jail as they were sent to the hospital with injuries. Their identities have yet to be released.
Investigators believe the break-ins happened between Aug. 22 and 28.
If you believe you may have been a victim, you’re asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
Previous coverage:
2 suspects wanted in car burglaries arrested following pursuit in KCK
Copyright 2022 KCTV. All rights reserved.
