Driver in fatal Johnson County crash showed signs of alcohol consumption, report says

A man who drove the wrong way on Interstate 35 in a fatal crash earlier this month in Johnson County showed signs of alcohol consumption, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol report.

The crash report, which includes new details about the April 3 wreck, indicated that a highway patrol investigator observed signs, such as an odor of alcohol, staggering or slurred speech, that the driver had been drinking.

The crash was reported about 2:39 a.m. on I-35 near 67th Street in Merriam after a motorist called police to report a vehicle was traveling the wrong way on the interstate.

A 2008 Infinity driven by 37-year-old William Darnell Carter, of Kansas City, was headed southbound in the northbound lanes. It struck a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Andrew Hixson, 34, of Mission. A diagram on the crash report showed the impact of the two vehicles, but the patrol did not release further details.

Hixson was killed in the crash. Carter was injured and was taken to Overland Park Regional Hospital. Neither driver was wearing a seat belt, according to the highway patrol.

The highway patrol report showed an investigator tested Carter for impairment.

Attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.

An obituary described Hixson as an avid golfer and a “huge Nebraska Huskers fan” who loved all sports.

“He was very social and could quote one-liners from many movies,” the obituary said. “He was a strong advocate for organ donation.”

Trooper Tiffany Bush, a spokeswoman for the highway patrol, said the investigation of the crash was ongoing.

The Merriam Police Department was investigating the possible impairment of the driver, Bush said. Investigators took a blood sample from Carter and it could several months before the results are returned.

Once that investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office.