St. Louis Women Dies in Tractor-Trailer Crash
Two St. Louis-area young women died and two more were injured after a deadly crash in the early morning hours of April 2.
One vehicle entered the St. Clair ramp in East St. Louis onto Interstates 55/70 at around 3:45 in the morning. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, one driver crossed several lanes immediately upon entering the interstate, into the path of a tractor-trailer truck.
Authorities said the truck "t-boned" the passenger side of the car, killing two. Two people were injured and one reported in critical condition and one in fair condition as of April 3. The driver of the truck was not injured.
As experienced St. Louis car and truck accident lawyers, we're not surprised that the truck driver survived without serious injury. Statistics show that drivers of large trucks, including tractor-trailers like the one here, are rarely killed or seriously injured in accidents.
Because these trucks are so much larger and heavier than ordinary cars, they bring much more physical force to bear during a Missouri truck accident. Regardless of who was at fault, the occupants of the larger vehicle in an accident are usually better off.
In this case, it doesn't look like the truck driver was at fault. While news reports from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Belleville News-Democrat and MyFox St. Louis don't assign blame for the accident, they do quote authorities who suggested that the vehicle may have been trying to get onto Interstate 64, which splits from Interstates 55 and 70 near the St. Clair on-ramp.
As regular travelers to eastern Illinois know, there's very little time in which to cross those lanes so quickly. Perhaps because of that, the Illinois State Police report that the three-mile area with these junctions has the highest rate of accidents in the State Police District. Authorities quoted by the Post-Dispatch suggested that drivers entering the highway where the women did shouldn't try to enter Interstate 64 East.
Illinois State Police are investigating the causes of the accident; their preliminary report suggested that alcohol was not a factor. But regardless of why this accident happened, it's clear that, like most car and truck accidents, it was preventable. Drivers must make responsible and safe choices, of course.
But if authorities know an area has an unusually high number of auto accidents, or presents a tempting but unsafe lane-change opportunity, they may be legally and morally obligated to make changes to make it safer.
If you or someone you love was seriously injured in an auto accident caused by someone else -- regardless of whether it was a careless driver, a government agency or an auto manufacturer -- you have rights. That includes the right to sue for the costs of your injuries, auto repairs and other costs caused by the accident. To learn more, call the Missouri and Illinois auto accident lawyers at Page || Cagle for a free consultation.
The call and consultation are free. I can be reached 24 hours a day at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). Call me personally and I will answer all the questions and concerns you may have. There is no fee unless we recover for you.
If you don’t want to call or you can't call, you can email me at john@pagecagle.com. I look forward to speaking with you and helping you through these trying times. You can also visit my website, www.MissouriTractorTrailerCrash.com for more information.
