Three dead in eight vehicle pileup involving ‘inattentive’ semi truck driver on I-55 in Missouri, troopers say

The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) is investigating a triple fatality crash that occurred in Jefferson County on Sunday.

The crash took place around 3:30 p.m. on September 28 on northbound I-55 near mile marker 173.8, near Festus, Missouri.

According to an MSHP crash report, a 45 year old Louisiana-based truck driver was operating a Freightliner Cascadia northbound on I-55 when he encountered several vehicles traveling in the right lane at a slower speed.

Troopers said that the truck driver was “inattentive to slow moving traffic” and rear-ended a Toyota Camry, sparking a chain-reaction crash that ultimately involved eight vehicles, including seven passenger vehicles and the semi truck.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene.

Five other people were injured, with two of those people listed in serious condition.

The crash closed northbound I-55 for several hours, but all lanes reopened around 10:20 p.m. on Sunday.

The crash is under investigation.