Mother, Child Critical after Car Crashes into House near I-55
On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accident on Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A car’s collision with a St. Louis home near an Interstate 55 off-ramp left the driver and her young child in critical condition on July 4. Neighbors said that the design of the off-ramp likely contributed to the accident. The off ramp has been the site of many serious motor vehicle accidents over the years.
St. Louis police said the accident took place on the morning of Independence Day. The driver, a 47-year-old woman was coming off I-55 at the Loughborough exit. When the car reached Idaho Avenue, the woman lost control of her car. A witness who lives in the neighborhood said the car hit a street sign and ran into a tree before slamming into a nearby house.
Both the woman and her 17-month-old child were taken to nearby hospitals, where they were listed in critical condition as of the evening of July 4. It had been raining before the accident and the roads were wet, which may have caused the car to slip. Police said that speed may also have been a factor.
However, neighbors said that the incident was just the latest serious accident caused by the Loughborough ramp’s design. One neighbor said that in the six years he’s lived near the ramp, there have been at least 25 car accidents, including two fatal ones. Residents said that the way the ramp is designed encourages drivers not to slow down once they exit the interstate, leading to accidents, especially in slippery conditions.
A police spokesman denied the ramp is dangerous. He said the people who designed the ramp “did the best they could” to prevent fatal accidents.
Source: KSDK-TV, “Speeding car crashed into house in south St. Louis,” Jennifer Feldman, July 4, 2011