Overland Park Mann is guilty of causing a deadly Dui crash

A man from Overland Park is guilty of presenting two crimes, including involuntary homicide when driving under influence because he had caused a frontal accident in which a person was killed.

On Monday, Matthew Karabas owed himself to the involuntary homicide in front of Johnson County's district court and tried a heavy battery because of a fatal crash in 2024, in which Eric M. Diaz, a man from Florida who visited the area for work was killed.

The plea was part of an agreement that had changed the original charge due to the first degree murder, a second degree murder, the influence of heavy battery and the flight and the draft of a police officer.

Judge Michael P. Joyce is the chairman.

The crash occurred on Interstate 35

In the early morning of April 28, 2024, the deputy deputy James Gdanski from the Johnson County Sheriff's Office reported that, according to criminal affidavit, on Interstate 35 south of the 199th Street was almost hit by a jeep.

It was later confirmed that the Karabas vehicle was driven by Diaz in the passenger seat.

In response, Gdanski activated the lights of his patrol car and crossed the median to track the jeep. To try to attract Karabas, he used his spotlight and Lufthorn, according to an affidavit.

At some point Karabas stopped and pulled the street into the median before accelerating again and drove on the street. He drove about half a mile on the motorway on the wrong way before starting a semi-tractor head head.

One person was killed and another injured

After the crash, Gdanski approached Karabas' vehicle and discovered Diaz, who died in the crash, and Karabas unconscious with cutting wounds on head and arms.

Samuel Garrido, the semi-tractor driver driver, suffered knee pain from the crash.

When Gdanski spoke to Karabas at the crime scene, he said that, according to an affidavit, he had “the strong smell of consumed alcohol”. When he was transported to the Overland Park Regional Medical Center, the nurses also reported that he seemed to be drunk.

Karabas is sued by Diaz's parents

In December 2024, Katherine and Eric R. Diaz, Eric's parents, submitted an illegal complaint against Karabas to the US district court of Kansas.

In the lawsuit, they claim that Karabas acts with negligence and ruthlessness when he cheated on the jeep.

“(Karabas) knew that the escape from law enforcement agencies and participation in illegal behavior was subjected to others to be exposed to injuries or deaths,” said court documents. “(He) decided to ignore these risks and the likely consequences of his actions, which led to a collision and death of Eric M. Diaz.”

In the lawsuit, the Diaz family asks for compensation for damage, including the loss of income, funeral costs, intellectual fear, suffering and grief. They demand 75,000 US dollars plus additional costs.

In a changed answer submitted in February, the Karabas lawyers refused to claim that the Diaz family was raised in their complaint, including the consideration that he had been intoxicated, had fled from the law enforcement authorities and ruthlessly.

The lawsuit has not yet been completed.

The family of the family “Happy” with plea

The lawyer Matthew Bretz von Bretz, who represented the Diaz family in the civil law, said he was “happy” that Karaba's guilty was known.

“As often as people try to avoid responsibility by not pleading or saying a competition that they are not guilty when they are obvious,” he said to Johnson County Post. “And that's why I appreciate (he) that he takes responsibility, please enter the culprit and (admission).”

As a member of the National Board of Directors for mothers against drunk driving, Bretz said that a person who is guilty of causing a DUI death was rare.

“It is rare for someone to take responsibility for their actions and admit what they did and guilty,” he said. “I'm really grateful for this, but there is still no excuse for the travel disorder.”

Karabas' lawyers have not returned to Johnson County Post's comments.

What's next

Karabas will be convicted in front of Johnson's district court on July 31 at 3:30 p.m.