Independence Missouri 12-Year-Old Killed in Car Crash at 71 Highway and Gregory in Kansas City

An Independence Missouri boy, 12-year-old Damian Slayton, was killed over the weekend in a tragic car crash.  Charges have been filed against Clayton R. Dunlap, 30, for second-degree murder and felony driving with a revoked license. 

The Kansas City auto accident happened as Dunlap was speeding and swerving in and out of traffic along westbound Gregory.  As he approached Missouri Highway 71, he came upon traffic, hit a median, flipped his vehicle, striking a line of cars stopped at Gregory and southbound 71.  Damian Slayton was a passenger in the backseat of the first vehicle struck and was pronounced dead at the scene.  His mother, Bri Kneisley, was taken to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury and listed in critical condition.

According to court records, Dunlap has 16 prior convictions for driving while revoked, driving while suspended or operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.  Police indicated that they noticed a chemical smell on Dunlap at the hospital, consistent with PCP.

The wrongful death of a child is especially tragic, but when a fatal motor vehicle collision is caused by a man with a driving history such as Dunlap's it is totally senseless. At Roswold Law Group Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys we want to express our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Damian Slayton. As experienced personal injury lawyers with a particular interest in raising child safety awareness, preventing child injury, and representing these children and their families, we know firsthand that these injuries and fatalities are devastating.