KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man who has spent four months in prison for a Kansas City hit-and-run death could be released later this month if the judge in the case grants probation.
Curtis Mertensmeyer is scheduled for release June 30. Jackson County Circuit Judge John Torrence has sent notice to the prosecutor's office that he intends to grant probation to the 21-year-old Mertensmeyer.
The defendant pleaded guilty last year in the May 2008 death of 25-year-old Daniel Riemann.
Riemann, 25, was crossing Ward Parkway near 56th Street on foot when he was struck by a car. His body came to rest 139 feet from the impact.
The incident occurred about 3 a.m. on Mother’s Day.
Mertensmeyer admitted he had been drinking and speeding. He had two friends in the car. He received a five-year sentence in February, with possible release after 120 days.
Kelly Riemann, the victim's mother, opposes the release and wants the court to look at more evidence in the case. She has spent a lot of time trying to come up with ways to keep Mertensmeyer in prison. But it appears that’s not likely to happen.
(The Associated Press Contributed to this Report)
