Personal Injury Law

Multi-collision Missouri accident injures five

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Five people were hospitalized Friday, two with serious injuries, after a series of collisions on I-55 in Jefferson County south of St. Louis.

The St. Louis area injury accident occurred when Jolene Hancock, 31, pulled her 2009 Toyota Tundra to the shoulder of southbound I-55, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. While Hancock?s vehicle was on the side of the road, a southbound 2007 Hyundai Elantra, driven by Melina Clark, 16, traveled off the side of the road and crashed into the back of the parked Toyota.

The force of the impact pushed Hancock?s car back into the highway where it was struck by a tractor trailer, driven by Roger McIrvin, 54. The tractor trailer immediately pulled over to the shoulder, but Hancock?s car stayed on the highway where it sustained a third collision, this time from a 1993 Ford Explorer driven by Joshua Cheli, 30.

Jolene Hancock and two passengers in her car, Christopher Hancock, 34, and Tristan Hancock, 10, were taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center. Jolene sustained the most serious injuries of the three.

Clark was taken by ambulance to St. Anthony?s Medical Center with moderate injuries. Cheli was also transported to St. Anthony?s with serious injuries.

McIrvin, the tractor trailer driver, was uninjured.

This Missouri rear end collision car accident is very complicated with multiple collisions that may take much more investigation to determine liability. The initial accident report doesn?t say why Hancock was on the shoulder of the road or what caused Clark to suddenly veer off the highway. Both are important factors that should be investigated by authorities and possibly a St. Louis area personal injury attorney.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on November 27, 2009 (boomark / email).