Grain Valley man sentenced to 25 years in prison for 2023 crash that killed JoCo teen
A Grain Valley man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a 2023 crash that killed a Johnson County teen, according to a press release from Johnson County District Attorney Stephen Howe.
Benjamin “Benny” Kleczka, 19, died after Uconn Coleman, then 24, crashed into his car on June 15, 2023.
Early that morning, a Merriam police officer attempted to pull Coleman over for driving at a high rate of speed on the 5500 block of Antioch Road. Police said they did not initiate a pursuit. Seconds later, the vehicle crashed into a Honda Accord stopped at Antioch Road and Shawnee Mission Parkway, according to Merriam police.
Kleckza, the driver of the Honda, was critically injured in the crash and later died at an area hospital.
On Friday, Coleman was sentenced to 25 years in prison, after pleading guilty in March on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, fleeing and eluding police officers and leaving the scene of a crash, according to the district attorney’s office.
Coleman’s defense attorney, Carl Cornwell, previously told The Star that Coleman sobbed after learning that someone died in the crash, and that Coleman was “very remorseful.”
Kleckza was adored by many and had a strong faith, loved ones said shortly after his death.
“He was an inspiration and a light to so many,” loved ones wrote about Kleczka on a GoFundMe page created for his family at the time of the crash, describing Kleczka as having a “larger than life presence.”
The Star’s Anna Spoerre and Bill Lukitsch contributed to reporting.
