17 February 2023
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas man has been charged with two counts of first degree involuntary manslaughter for a crash that killed a pedestrian, a Kansas City police officer and his K9 partner.
According to court records Jerron Allen Lightfoot, 18, of Tonganoxie, Kansas, was speeding the night of the crash, ran through a red light and struck the officer’s vehicle.
Officer James Muhlbauer, a 20-year veteran of the department, and K9 officer Champ were patrolling near the intersection of Truman Road and Benton Boulevard on Feb.15.
Video from the area of the crash showed the police officer was traveling eastbound on Truman Road and had a green light at the intersection. Lightfoot’s white Ford was traveling southbound on Benton Boulevard at 85 mph and ran through the intersection, striking the patrol car.
That crash caused a second collision with a pedestrian. Emergency crews pronounced the pedestrian dead at the scene. The identity of this person has not been released yet, but the victim has been described as a man in his 50’s.
The crash knocked Muhlbauer unconscious in the driver’s seat and he was taken to an area hospital with critical injuries. Champ was in the backseat of the patrol vehicle at the time of the crash. Muhlbauer later died at the hospital, Champ was killed at the scene.
Lightfoot told investigators he attempted to hit the brakes at the light but couldn’t slow down, estimating he was going between 50 and 55 miles per hour. Detectives reviewed data from Lightfoot’s vehicle that showed he was driving 89.7 miles per hour 1.5 seconds before the crash and his brakes were working.
He denied drinking or doing drugs before the crash, but investigators took a buccal swab. Those results weren’t available in the charging document.
Funeral arrangements for Muhlbauer have not yet been announced.