A 43-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, man died Aug. 31 after his car struck a bridge pillar on northbound Interstate 35 in Olathe and burst into flames.

The Kansas Highway Patrol identified the victim as Adam Christopher Townsend. He was driving a 2019 Dodge Challenger northbound on I-35 just north of 159th Street when the car left the right side of the highway for an unknown reason and hit a pillar of the Lone Elm Road bridge, according to the Johnson County Post, citing KHP.

The vehicle caught fire after hitting the pillar. Townsend was killed in the crash, KHP said.

Emergency crews were dispatched around 9:30 a.m., according to KCTV5. News stringer Mike Frizzell, who covers Johnson County emergency response, reported on X that the call went out at 9:39 a.m. to the Olathe Fire Department, Olathe Police Department, Johnson County Fire District and Johnson County Med-Act. Crews arriving on scene found the vehicle engulfed in flames.

Four agencies responded to the crash site near the Lone Elm Road overpass. The Kansas Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. KHP said Townsend's car left the roadway "for an unknown reason," and no details on speed, impairment or mechanical failure have been released.

The crash shut down northbound I-35 in Olathe, causing significant traffic delays Monday morning. KCTV5 reported the interstate was expected to remain closed for an extended period while crews worked the scene. The station reported that drivers were directed to exit onto the Lone Elm Road ramp, take Lone Elm Road north to 151st Street and re-enter northbound I-35 from there.

KSHB also reported on the fatal crash, describing it as a collision with a bridge abutment.

The interstate reopened to traffic at 11:15 a.m. The Kansas Highway Patrol has not announced a timeline for completing its investigation.

Anyone with information about the crash can contact the Kansas Highway Patrol at 785-296-6800.