Kansas City man charged in deadly drunken driving crash

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Court documents say a Kansas City man had a blood-alcohol level that was three times the legal limit when he caused a deadly crash.

Thirty-nine-year-old Paul Dowdell was charged Saturday with driving while intoxicated in the deadly collision. No attorney is listed for him in online court records.

The Jackson County prosecutor's office says Dowell had a blood-alcohol level of .295 in January when he crossed a lane divider on Interstate 470 in a Cadillac Eldorado and struck a tractor-trailer. The truck's driver, Daniel Shafer, was ejected when the rig crashed into a concrete barrier. He died the next day.

Prosecutors say Dowdell left the hospital against medical advice before an officer arrived. He was arrested Saturday.

Court records show he has two prior DUI convictions in Missouri.