Rash of High-Profile Wrecks: St. Louis’ Road Safety Called Into Question

Known as the Gateway to the West, St. Louis, Missouri, is a vibrant city to dwell in. With a diverse cuisine, friendly locals, and plenty of entertainment opportunities, it won’t take long for St. Louis to make you feel welcomed and loved.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the city’s various interstates and intersections. In a WalletHub study, St. Louis was ranked last among the ‘safest cities in America.’ Besides frequent natural disasters and homicides, one major reason for this ranking was road accidents.
St. Louis’ road safety situation is hanging by a precarious thread. Officials are concerned and in desperate need of concrete measures to tackle the problem. If not, the city may continue to lose residents who relocate in search of safer pastures.
In this article, we will discuss the growing road accident issue in St. Louis, including a rash of recent high-profile wrecks.
Accident Numbers Rise across the St. Louis Region
In the whole of Missouri in general, road accident cases are on the rise. This is true, especially in cities like St. Louis. In December 2023, the police department had to address two fatal crashes (the victims in both were the drivers of the involved vehicles).
Both the incidents had occurred early in the morning, between 3 AM and 5 AM. Another tragic crash took place in the same month where 63-year-old Marian Harris-Dukes sustained fatal injuries. Those in other vehicles, including a 7-year-old child, received non-life-threatening injuries.
In 2024, city officials particularly analyzed the New Halls Ferry Road, deemed to be dangerous. At least 112 vehicle crashes happened on that road in 2023, and 15 have already occurred in 2024. What’s even scarier is that people believe this is a problem that the police cannot fix.
It can be seen that pedestrians are highly vulnerable to fatal injuries in the St. Louis region. One of the major causes behind the growing number of accidents is reckless driving. Just this Valentine’s, a Chicago mother-daughter duo was struck down by an overspeeding car.
The two were simply crossing the road in downtown St. Louis after a Drake concert when it all happened suddenly. From the Mayor to the aldermen Board, all are alike concerned about St. Louis’ road safety.
Dealing with the Tragic Aftermath
As is clear from the recent statistics, many road crashes across St. Louis end up in multiple fatalities. This is most true in cases where a commercial truck or semi-truck is involved since St. Louis is a logistics hub. Even if victims come out alive, they seldom do so unscathed.
Even car accidents can cause debilitating injuries, including paralysis, deep wounds and lacerations, burns, broken bones, and more. Recovering from some of these can take months or years. The same will involve thousands of dollars in medical expenses.
As soon as the victim recovers, they must wage a legal war on the liable parties. Depending on the vehicles involved, the plaintiff may need to hire a truck or car accident lawyer in St. Louis. Since insurance companies rarely offer fair negotiations, the case may go to court.
According to TorHoerman Law, truck accident cases are usually very complex due to the involvement of multiple liable parties. Right from the time of gathering evidence up until the pre-trial phase, it could take months. The aim is to always resolve the case by this point to save money and time.
If the insurer still does not negotiate, the case will go to trial. In total, auto accident suits can take anywhere from 9 to 18 months to settle. Some peculiar cases may take years before they are settled.
Measures Taken to Handle the Situation
In light of how painstaking accidents can be, physically, emotionally, financially, and legally, prevention is the best foot forward. The city’s Mayor, Tishaura O. Jones, and others have implemented certain road safety measures –
- The Safer Streets Bill was passed in 2023 where a $40 million fund was granted to redesign the city’s streets.
- The Mayor also signed an Executive Order on the transparency and accountability of surveillance technology.
- The officials have developed a buckle-type vest that pedestrians can wear to promote visibility for drivers.
- Speed bumps have been introduced and crosswalk visibility has improved.
- Chevron warning signs have been introduced in sharp curves.
- Intersections without proper lighting have had bright street lamps installed.
Besides these, existing traffic rules will be enforced strictly to ensure every driver follows them. In 2024, St. Louis’ population stands at 272,673. The city has lost over 4,400 residents in the year ending July 2023.
Despite wanting to embrace new residents, the Mayor is sadly witnessing more and more leaving every year. If issues like those discussed in this article are not tackled soon enough, it won’t be long before St. Louis’ population will experience a free fall.