Icy bridge leads to 7-car pileup

Witnesses say bridge was like a sheet of ice

Weather contributed to several collisions Monday in St. Francois County.

Authorities said icy bridge conditions were to blame for a seven-car pileup that occurred around 7:35 a.m. Monday morning on the Big River Bridge. The accident involved North County High School students heading to school, according to the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department.

According to reports, one of the vehicles spun out and was hit by the vehicle behind it.

“It was a chain reaction,” said Sergeant Randy Tate of the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department. “It was caused because of slick conditions on the bridge.”

He added that there were no major injuries.

Carla Welch’s daughter Whitney was involved in the pileup. Welch said on Monday that the bridge had been “like a sheet of ice” when the accident occurred.

“I don’t understand why the bridge wasn’t treated with salt, knowing that it’s one of the few ways kids can get to the high school right now,” Welch said. She said that after the pileup, county road and bridge department officials told her the bridge had not been treated.

Additional details were unavailable at press time.

A Valles Mines man received minor injuries Monday when two cars collided head on at 7:10 a.m. in St. Francois County.

According to Missouri Highway Patrol reports, Mark E. Trautwein, 40, was eastbound on Route Y, 1.1 miles east of Hillsboro Road when a westbound 1995 Chevrolet Monte Carlo crossed the center line and struck Trautwein’s 2004 Chevrolet Impala head on.

Trautwein, who had not been wearing a seat belt, was taken by ambulance to Jefferson Memorial Hospital. No injuries were listed for Marie L. Dixon, 17, of Valles Mines, driver of the Monte Carlo. Damage to both cars was listed as extensive.

Also on Monday, a Doe Run woman received moderate injuries when her 1999 Mercury Cougar struck a tree on Route B in St. Francois County, according to Highway Patrol reports.                                         

Erica R. Sherrill, 19, was northbound at 7:35 a.m. when her vehicle traveled off the right side of the road, .1 mile south of Watts Road. She overcorrected and the car slid off the left side of the road and hit the tree. Sherrill, who had not been wearing a seat belt, was taken by ambulance to Parkland Health Center. Damage to the vehicle was listed as extensive. 

Also on Sunday, five people were injured in three accidents in Ste. Genevieve and Washington counties.

According to the Highway Patrol reports, a St. Mary’s teenager and a Perryville child were injured at 9:30 a.m. on Route N in Ste. Genevieve County. Lindsey K. Manshack, 16, was northbound in a 1995 Ford Windstar when she failed to negotiate a curve, .1 mile south of Route P. The vehicle went off the right side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned.

Lindsey suffered moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to Ste. Genevieve Hospital. Her passenger, Darin J. Manshack, 12, of Perryville, received minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to the same hospital, according to reports. Both had been wearing seat belts.

Damage to the Windstar was listed as total.

At 3:50 p.m., a Potosi woman received moderate injuries when her 1997 Dodge Neon struck a tree on Highway 47, north of Old Bonne Terre Road, according to the Highway Patrol reports.

Jesse L. Pierce, 23, was northbound when her vehicle went off the right side of the road and hit the tree. Pierce, who had been wearing a seat belt, was taken by ambulance to Washington County Memorial Hospital.

Damage to the Neon was listed as moderate.

According to the reports, John E. Rickard, 54, of Sullivan, received minor injuries and his passenger, Carolyn R. Malone, 47, of Sullivan, received moderate injuries when their 1989 Ford Ranger struck a utility pole in Washington County. At 11:40 p.m., Rickard was eastbound on Acorn Road, .5 mile west of Highway 185, when he traveled off the right side of the road and hit the pole. Neither was wearing a seat belt.

Malone was taken by ambulance to Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan. Rickard was taken by a trooper to Washington County Memorial Hospital. Damage to the Ranger was listed as total.

A Bloomsdale man was one of 11 people killed this year in Missouri traffic accidents during the Thanksgiving holiday counting period, which ran from 6 p.m. Wednesday through 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Ten people were killed in accidents during the same period in 2007.

Highway Patrol troopers investigated 488 traffic crashes that resulted in 143 injuries during the same time period.

According to the reports, Michael L. Landon, 30, died Sunday after his 2002 Chevrolet Blazer overturned on Interstate 55 in Jefferson County. Landon was southbound on the highway at 7:20 a.m. when his vehicle traveled off the east side of the road at mile marker 172. Landon overcorrected, causing the Blazer to travel off the west side of the roadway. The vehicle struck a rock bluff and overturned, ejecting Landon, who was not wearing a seat belt. He died at the scene, making him the 129th person to die in an accident this year in Missouri.

Damage to the Blazer was listed as total.                

 

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