If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that for weeks I’ve been looking into the July 6, four-vehicle crash that killed 68-year-old, retired Johnson County firefighter Paul W. Scott.
Paul Scott
The Hyundai SUV Scott was driving was stopped at a traffic signal on westbound Parallel Parkway at the K-7 intersection when a Ford Expedition (also an SUV) slammed into the rear of the Hyundai. The vehicle Scott was driving plowed into the vehicle in front of him, and that vehicle struck a fourth vehicle.
As I reported Aug. 2, the driver of the Expedition was not charged because, according to the KCK police department, he apparently committed suicide sometime after the crash.
But the police department would not give me his name. Last week, I filed an open records request for the “accident report,” and I can now tell you who caused the chain-reaction crash.
Dylan Eull
His name was Dylan Matthew Eull. He was 24 years old at the time of the crash. He lived in southeastern North Dakota, in a town called Verona — population 85, according to the 2010 Census. He was a millwright for Eull’s Contracting, a small company apparently run by a relative. The Expedition belonged to the company.
On Monday, July 24, 18 days after the crash, Dylan Eull committed suicide at his home. He had turned 25 between the crash and his death.
His obituary said his interests included “designing tattoos, playing guitar, fishing and working on cars, especially his International pickup.”
The obituary also said: “Dylan was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. Behind his tough guy exterior, he was a teddy bear with the biggest heart you could imagine.”
North Dakota public records indicate Dylan Eull was a young man with an earlier history of irresponsibility.
He was fined for speeding in 2011, and he had seven misdemeanor convictions between 2011 and 2014. Among other things, he was twice convicted for driving with a suspended license, and he had three convictions for possession and/or consumption of alcohol as a minor.
It appears from the records he was never sentenced to jail time but repeatedly placed on unsupervised probation, as well as being fined and required to perform community service.
…Undoubtedly, you are now wondering if he was driving with a valid license on July 6 and if he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
As best I can tell, the answers are yes (he had a valid license) and no (he was not driving under the influence).
The investigating officer put a check mark in the box with the heading “No evidence of impairment,” and he entered the numeric code for “valid license” in a nearby section.
So, what was Dylan Eull doing when he slammed into the back of Paul Scott’s SUV? Unfortunately, the accident report does not shed light on that, nor does it indicate how fast Dylan Eull might have been going.
My own supposition is that he was speeding and not paying attention. Maybe he was doing something with his cell phone — texting or playing dial-a-tune. Maybe he was daydreaming. Maybe he was looking for something in the glove compartment. Who knows? It’s clear, though, he was not paying attention because, for God’s sake, he would have stepped on the brake and stopped his vehicle if he had been!
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Another thing about Dylan Eull: He was no stranger to vehicular death. According to a story in The Jamestown (ND) Sun, he was one of five people in a Dodge pick-up that went out of control and overturned four years ago this month. The 18-year-old driver was killed, and the four passengers, including 21-year-old Dylan Eull, were injured. Three of the passengers (the story doesn’t indicate if Dylan Eull was among them) were ejected. None of the five was wearing a seatbelt.
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Up until about a year ago, Dylan Eull’s Facebook page posts were mostly about tattoos and his libertarian propensities. (For example, a drawing he apparently created includes a raised middle finger between the words “drink” and “responsibly.”)
He apparently posted nothing between last Aug. 8 and this July 10, two weeks before his death. That day, he posted this:
“god loves us all and christ forgives all who truely (stet) seek him”
Later that day, two other people posted comments. One said, “Glad to know that you are going to make it you sacred the crap out of me.”
Another, apparently a relative, said, “Glad to see you out here, And super happy to know you are going to be ok.”
At 10:03 that night, Dylan Eull made his final post:
“any day spent with jesus at my side is going to be ok”
Those words were followed by a smiley-faced emoticon.
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Note: I would like to give credit to former Kansas City Star and current freelance reporter Karen Dillon for prodding me to file an open records request for the accident report. I had asked the KCK police department for the report several weeks ago and was told it wasn’t available because the case was “under investigation.” After that, I forgot about the report, until Karen said it was an open record and that I would be able to obtain it with a formal request…Thank you, Karen!
Did you ever learn why Eull was in the area if he lived in North Dakota? Did he have relatives or friends here? Attending a wedding? Work-related? Just curious.
I will try to find out.
Nice job staying on this story, Fitz.
Thanks Fitz for sticking with the story! Tragic story. Sounds like Eull’s life was really going nowhere. It’s unfortunate for Paul Scott and his family that Scott and Eull’s paths had to cross in that brief moment.
Dillon judging someone’s life as going “nowhere” is typically insensitive and on the Asperger’s spectrum of being and unconcerned/unconnected with normal emotions…However, like coders and tech workers, that can be a plus for newspaper reporters.
From reading everything on his Facebook page, plus taking into consideration his record of misdemeanor convictions, I think it’s fair to say Eull was angry and searching for direction — even though he was one of those people who are 150 percent sure of their convictions. In his favor was the fact that he had not had a legal problem, at least of a criminal nature, in the last three years. So, maybe he was maturing. On the other hand, his apparent failure to pay any semblance of attention while driving westbound on Parallel, with several cars stopped in front of him, makes me wonder where his head was.
Nice job, Jim.
Thanks, Les…Compliments from The Star’s great and former “slot editor” are always special.
FYI There was another accident on K32 in Edwardsville a vehicle crossed the center line and hit a car with two women and two children. The driver of the car that crossed the line was killed as were the two women. Both children were hospitalized.
I am now informed that the driver of the vehicle that crossed the line was allegedly drunk and fleeing from police. Further, one of the children had their spinal cord severed and will be paralyzed for life so I find it hard to feel much sympathy for those who selfishly put others at risk with their irresponsible behavior.
I sure hope you’re wrong about the child being paralyzed, John…It’s terrible, of course, that three people died.