A Kansas City, Kansas police officer tragically lost his life after being struck by a driver during a police pursuit on Tuesday morning, as confirmed by Chief Karl Oakman.
Officer Hunter Simoncic of the KCK police was hit while attempting to stop a vehicle involved in the pursuit. He was transported to the hospital with critical injuries but unfortunately succumbed to them.
Simoncic was 26 years old and graduated from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Academy in 2023. He was from Galesburg, Kansas.
He was hit near Kansas City, Kansas Community College, at the intersection of 75th and State Avenue, around midnight Tuesday.
Police were originally called to the area for sounds of shots fired. When officers arrived they found an armed suspect in a car and the chase began.
FOX4 was told that as an officer deployed stop sticks, the suspect drove over the median to avoid the stop sticks, and hit the officer.
The police reported that the suspect continued driving after hitting the officer and crashed a short distance away. He was subsequently arrested and taken to the hospital for his injuries.
KCK Police Chief Karl Oakman spoke on the risk officers take when taking on the job following the incident.
Chief Oakman remarked, “It’s a perilous line of work, and our department’s officers consistently exceed expectations despite the inherent risks. Occasionally, actions like these defy comprehension, as someone intentionally strikes an officer and purposefully chooses to cause harm.”
As of 6 a.m., State Avenue is closed from 75th Street to College Parkway.
