A wrongful death civil lawsuit filed on Wednesday in a Missouri circuit court says a Kansas City Chiefs team physician who had just returned from the team’s game in Germany hit and killed a good Samaritan while driving on a highway in Independence. Related file video above: Good Samaritan, individual in stolen vehicle killed in early morning crash on I-70Dr. Michael Monaco, according to the lawsuit, failed to keep a proper lookout in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 at approximately 1:47 a.m. on Nov. 6, 2023, when he hit and killed Robert Piper.Piper had stopped to help juvenile victims involved in a crash of their overturned Chevrolet Equinox. Investigators later said the Equinox was stolen. Police shut down Interstate 70 for hours that morning as they investigated and cleared the crash scene. The driver of the Equinox had flipped the vehicle when Piper, his wife, and daughter noticed the crash and pulled over to help, according to the lawsuit. Piper and his wife had just returned from vacation. Their daughter was taking them home from Kansas City International Airport.“As we navigate through this difficult time following the tragic loss of Robert, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received. Robert’s death has left an irreplaceable void in our lives. His kind-hearted nature and dedication to helping others, especially in his last moments, reflected the very essence of his character,” a family statement said. “Our fervent hope is that those responsible for this avoidable tragedy will be held fully accountable.” Ralph Monaco, an attorney representing Dr. Michael Monaco, said drugs or alcohol were not any sort of factor in Monaco’s driving. He was traveling home at the time, Ralph Monaco said.“It’s devastating,” Ralph Monaco said. “It’s devastating. Mike’s emotionally distraught over it. Total sympathies go out to the Pipers. It’s just a horrible event.”Dr. Michael Monaco is not facing any criminal charges. The lawsuit states he did remain at the scene after the crash. Sister station KMBC has reached out to the Kansas City Chiefs for comment. We will update this story when we hear back.Facts about crash alleged in lawsuitThe three-count civil lawsuit says Monaco’s Ford F-150 Lightning was traveling at 71 miles per hour at the time of the crash, according to the truck’s electronic data recorder. The truck hit the Equinox first and then hit Piper as he was attempting to render aid to a juvenile passenger of the Equinox.“Eight other vehicles that approached the accident scene, prior to Defendant Monaco, were able to safely slow down and/or change lanes and avoid hitting the Equinox and Robert Piper,” the lawsuit said.The lawsuit makes no claims about alcohol or drug use by Dr. Monaco, instead claiming Dr. Monaco had sufficient time to avoid the crash.Monaco came upon the overturned Equinox approximately three minutes after the single-vehicle accident involving this vehicle occurred, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit says Missouri Department of Transportation video shows that “…Monaco approached the overturned Equinox and Robert Piper, more than sufficient visual cues and warnings existing to put a reasonable driver on notice that there was an accident ahead and they should slow down and change lanes.”Ralph Monaco, who is also Dr. Monaco’s brother-in-law, said he will not remain as the lead attorney on the case, instead leaving the case to an attorney hired by an insurance company.“It was an ‘unavoidable accident,’” Monaco said. “There were no lights at the location. The accident had just occurred.”Monaco also said the juveniles who had crashed their Equinox were responsible in the accident.“These guys had stole it, they flipped it, and caused the wreck, and frankly I think they’re the responsible parties for causing it.”The lawsuit, meanwhile, says “there were numerous other obvious visual cues and warnings that would have given a reasonable driver notice of the accident and the need to slow down and change lanes.”The lawsuit said three other vehicles had stopped and pulled into the right-hand shoulder after coming upon the overturned equinox.“All three vehicles had their headlights and hazard lights activated. Additionally, the driver and passenger in one of the three vehicles that had pulled to the right side of the road before Defendant arrived (a truck pulling a livestock trailer) both used lights to warn oncoming traffic,” the lawsuit says.Piper’s family statement also said the family is focused on healing, and, “remembering Robert for the extraordinary person he was. We kindly ask for privacy as we mourn and honor his memory. We will not be making any further statements at this time. Thank you for respecting our wishes.”
A wrongful death civil lawsuit filed on Wednesday in a Missouri circuit court says a Kansas City Chiefs team physician who had just returned from the team’s game in Germany hit and killed a good Samaritan while driving on a highway in Independence.
Related file video above: Good Samaritan, individual in stolen vehicle killed in early morning crash on I-70
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Dr. Michael Monaco, according to the lawsuit, failed to keep a proper lookout in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 at approximately 1:47 a.m. on Nov. 6, 2023, when he hit and killed Robert Piper.
Piper had stopped to help juvenile victims involved in a crash of their overturned Chevrolet Equinox. Investigators later said the Equinox was stolen. Police shut down Interstate 70 for hours that morning as they investigated and cleared the crash scene.
The driver of the Equinox had flipped the vehicle when Piper, his wife, and daughter noticed the crash and pulled over to help, according to the lawsuit. Piper and his wife had just returned from vacation. Their daughter was taking them home from Kansas City International Airport.
“As we navigate through this difficult time following the tragic loss of Robert, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received. Robert’s death has left an irreplaceable void in our lives. His kind-hearted nature and dedication to helping others, especially in his last moments, reflected the very essence of his character,” a family statement said. “Our fervent hope is that those responsible for this avoidable tragedy will be held fully accountable.”
Ralph Monaco, an attorney representing Dr. Michael Monaco, said drugs or alcohol were not any sort of factor in Monaco’s driving. He was traveling home at the time, Ralph Monaco said.
“It’s devastating,” Ralph Monaco said. “It’s devastating. Mike’s emotionally distraught over it. Total sympathies go out to the Pipers. It’s just a horrible event.”
Dr. Michael Monaco is not facing any criminal charges. The lawsuit states he did remain at the scene after the crash.
Sister station KMBC has reached out to the Kansas City Chiefs for comment. We will update this story when we hear back.
Facts about crash alleged in lawsuit
The three-count civil lawsuit says Monaco’s Ford F-150 Lightning was traveling at 71 miles per hour at the time of the crash, according to the truck’s electronic data recorder. The truck hit the Equinox first and then hit Piper as he was attempting to render aid to a juvenile passenger of the Equinox.
“Eight other vehicles that approached the accident scene, prior to Defendant Monaco, were able to safely slow down and/or change lanes and avoid hitting the Equinox and Robert Piper,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit makes no claims about alcohol or drug use by Dr. Monaco, instead claiming Dr. Monaco had sufficient time to avoid the crash.
Monaco came upon the overturned Equinox approximately three minutes after the single-vehicle accident involving this vehicle occurred, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says Missouri Department of Transportation video shows that “…Monaco approached the overturned Equinox and Robert Piper, more than sufficient visual cues and warnings existing to put a reasonable driver on notice that there was an accident ahead and they should slow down and change lanes.”
Ralph Monaco, who is also Dr. Monaco’s brother-in-law, said he will not remain as the lead attorney on the case, instead leaving the case to an attorney hired by an insurance company.
“It was an ‘unavoidable accident,’” Monaco said. “There were no lights at the location. The accident had just occurred.”
Monaco also said the juveniles who had crashed their Equinox were responsible in the accident.
“These guys had stole it, they flipped it, and caused the wreck, and frankly I think they’re the responsible parties for causing it.”
The lawsuit, meanwhile, says “there were numerous other obvious visual cues and warnings that would have given a reasonable driver notice of the accident and the need to slow down and change lanes.”
The lawsuit said three other vehicles had stopped and pulled into the right-hand shoulder after coming upon the overturned equinox.
“All three vehicles had their headlights and hazard lights activated. Additionally, the driver and passenger in one of the three vehicles that had pulled to the right side of the road before Defendant arrived (a truck pulling a livestock trailer) both used lights to warn oncoming traffic,” the lawsuit says.
Piper’s family statement also said the family is focused on healing, and, “remembering Robert for the extraordinary person he was. We kindly ask for privacy as we mourn and honor his memory. We will not be making any further statements at this time. Thank you for respecting our wishes.”
