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Basehor man dies in crash

By Caroline Trowbridge - | Oct 15, 2003

Leavenworth County law enforcement officials are searching for the driver of a pickup truck involved in a hit-and-run accident Wednesday night that resulted in the death of a 22-year-old Basehor man.

Kevin Criswell Swope was critically injured about 9:20 p.m. Wednesday in a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Kansas Highway 32 and 166th Street.

The driver of the other vehicle fled.

“We have a general idea of who the driver might be,” sheriff’s Sgt. Charlie Yates said Tuesday afternoon. “We will have to interview some other people who weren’t involved in the accident in order to talk with the owner of the truck.”

Yates, who said the truck’s owner was from Leavenworth County, said it’s possible the truck owner was driving — or at least knew who was driving.

“He’s not been located yet,” Yates said.

The accident apparently occurred when Swope, who was driving his 1989 Pontiac Grand Am west on K-32 tried to turn left onto 166th Street when it collided with a 1997 Chevy 4X4 truck that was being driven east.

Swope was taken by air ambulance to the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., where he died the following day.

The driver of the truck, who apparently was alone in the vehicle, then fled.

Yates said officers still are investigating who might have been at fault in the accident.

“As far as alcohol being involved, that’s been checked, at least on the victim,” he said. “We’re waiting on some reports.”

Once the other driver is tracked down, Yates said, officers will determine whether to recommend any charges to the Leavenworth County attorney’s office.

He said this case is somewhat unusual.

“This one’s going on almost a week old now, and nothing’s really broken loose,” Yates said.

An obituary for Mr. Swope appears on page 2A of today’s edition of The Mirror.