KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A woman died days after she suffered severe injuries in a hit-and-run crash. Now, Kansas City police are working with prosecutors to determine if additional charges should be filed in the case.
Kansas City police said 47-year-old Lanita Hart died Tuesday. She was injured when prosecutors said a driver intentionally hit her with a car near East 40th Street and Troost Avenue on April 22.
The driver left the crash before police arrived.
They later arrested 69-year-old Richard Douglas, Jr. in connection with the crash. Prosecutors charged him with second-degree aggravated assault and leaving the scene of an accident.
Court documents show investigators reviewed surveillance video from a business in the area of the crash. The video showed Hart and Douglas arguing with each other near a car. At one point Hart bends down and appears to manipulate something near the car’s front tire.
After more arguing, the probable cause statement says the video shows Douglas driving the car as the front passenger side hits Hart. Video shows the car dragging the victim as Douglas drives it out of the parking lot.
The document shows Douglas turned himself in at a police station about five hours after the hit-and-run crash.
The probable cause statement said during a police interview, Douglas said he didn’t know the victim, but she lived in his building. He said she approached him at a gas station and told him he owed her $40.
When he walked back to the car, he told police Hart threatening to slash his tires and have someone beat him up if he didn’t pay her the money.
Douglas said he got into the car and as he left the parking lot he told police it felt like he ran over a “dirt bag.” Douglas said he’d been drinking, but turned himself in because he felt guilty about leaving.
Douglas will be back in court May 2 for a bond reduction hearing.
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