Fatal Interstate 270 Crash in Maryland Heights, Missouri

Multi-Car Crash Results in Tragic Death of Young Woman

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St. Louis- On the front end of last Friday’s evening heavy traffic, a multiple vehicle crash occurred on I-270 between the Dorsett and I-70 exit. An 18 year-old House Springs woman was killed when her vehicle was reportedly struck by two different vehicles.

According to police, cars on Interstate 270 were slowing down to get onto Interstate-70 when a pickup truck failed to slow down in time. The pickup truck then rear-ended a car then smashed into four other vehicles in a chain reaction crash. All six of the vehicles were traveling in the northbound lanes of Interstate 270 and all six drivers were reported as wearing their seat belts.

A 46 year-old driver was reported with moderate injuries, and others suffered non-critical injuries.

Wrongful Death Motor Vehicle Crashes

So far, in 2017, there have been 251 traffic fatalities in the state of Missouri. We refer to vehicle crashes as “incidents” vs. “accidents” as the term “accident” makes it sound like it was unavoidable. In most vehicle crashes, the actual collisions could have been avoided. Predominantly, the cause or causes of any vehicle crash are due to human error including speeding, inattentiveness and distraction or a combination of all three. When drivers get inpatient or become distracted, crashes occur.

After a fatal crash, crash reconstruction experts do an evaluation. Determining the causes and contributing causes of a crash are very important for a couple of reasons: One, to determine liability and two, to add to the research data for safety experts, vehicle manufacturers and law enforcement to increase safety and hopefully, reduce fatalities and serious injuries in the future.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or if you have lost a loved one, knowing the reasons and or causes of the crash is important for both peace of mind and liability in an insurance claim. The days and weeks following a serious crash are confusing, overwhelming and difficult. It is not a process you should undertake on your own.

At The Cagle Law Firm, we know what a nightmare a serious injury or death can be and we understand the preliminary steps that need to be taken to be sure your claim is handled correctly.

For a free consultation, call us at (314) 276-1681