Multi-Vehicle Crash on I-55 in Jefferson County Leaves Three Dead, Several Injured, Arrest Made

Jefferson Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 55 in Jefferson County claimed three lives and left several others injured Sunday afternoon.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the crash happened around 3:27 p.m. northbound I-55, just south of the 173.8 mile marker. Investigators say seven vehicles were traveling slowly in the right lane when a northbound Freightliner Cascadia failed to notice the slowed traffic and struck the rear of a Toyota Camry. The impact triggered a chain reaction involving six additional vehicles.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel. They include the 53-year-old driver of a Kia Optima from Pevely, along with a 63-year-old driver and 63-year-old passenger of the Toyota Camry from Memphis, Tennessee. Several others were injured, including a 34-year-old man from Barnhart with serious injuries, and a 61-year-old woman from Rossville, Tennessee, also seriously hurt. Additional drivers from Arnold and Crystal City sustained moderate injuries, while the 45-year-old truck driver from Louisiana suffered minor injuries.

All injured were transported to Mercy Hospital South. All eight vehicles involved sustained moderate to total damage and were towed from the scene.

The accident shutdown both northbound and southbound lanes of I-55 for several hours.

The truck driver, identified as Richard A. Holden, was later arrested and charged with 3 counts of involuntary manslaughter and placed on a 24 hour hold in the Jefferson County Jail.