A Eureka man died in a crash while allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road on I-44 west of Hwy. 109 in Eureka, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported.
At 5:55 p.m. Oct. 13, Lane L. Rakow, 62, was driving an eastbound 2013 Ford F-150 in the westbound lanes of I-44, and Cole M. Buschmann, 18, of Aviston, Ill., driving a 2017 Hyundai Sonata, swerved left to avoid the oncoming Ford and struck the concrete median. Then, the Ford struck the Hyundai.
Rakow traveled into the next lane and struck a westbound 2018 Peterbilt 579 driven by Emir Memisevic, 47, of St. Louis and then struck a westbound 2019 Lincoln Navigator driven by Hwan S. Seo, 48, of Tulsa, Okla. The semi-truck traveled off the right side of the road, struck a guardrail and overturned, the report said.
Eureka Fire Protection personnel pronounced Rakow dead at the scene at 6:03 p.m., the report said. His body was taken by Lonnings Mortuary Services to the St. Louis County Medical Examiner.
Memisevic was moderately injured and taken by Meramec Ambulance to SSM Health St. Clare Hospital in Fenton, the report said.
According to the report, Memisevic and Seo were wearing seat belts, and it is unknown if Rakow or Buschmann were wearing seat belts.
The semi-truck and the Ford were totaled, the Hyundai was extensively damaged, and the Lincoln had moderate damage.