Festus Police officer Jaclyn Duffner, 23, was injured Nov. 27 while she was working an accident on I-55 south of Hwy. A and the patrol vehicle she was inside got struck, Chief Tim Lewis said.
He would not say what kinds of injuries Duffner suffered. However, Duffner was taken to Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City with minor injuries and was treated and released, Lewis said.
Duffner, who has been with the department for about two years, had not returned to work as of today (Dec. 4), Lewis said.
“She should return to work in the next week or so,” he said. “She’s doing fine.”
Lewis said the incident occurred about 5:45 p.m. when Duffner was inside a 2016 Ford Explorer patrol vehicle working what he described as a minor accident.
Kathryn L. Pickett, 65, of St. Louis was driving a 2016 BMW south on I-55 when it made “an unsafe lane change” into the path of a southbound 2013 Freightliner Cascadia driven by Carl D. Hadden, 61, of Niles, Mich., the Missouri State Highway reported.
The front of the Freightliner struck the rear of the BMW and then the BMW struck the left side of the Explorer, the report said.
No injuries were reported for Hadden.
However, Duffner and Pickett had minor injuries and were taken by Joachim-Plattin Ambulance to Mercy Hospital Jefferson, the patrol reported.
Lewis said it was fortunate Duffner was inside the vehicle rather than standing outside it along the interstate.
“It was lucky,” Lewis said.
All those involved in the accident were wearing seat belts, the report said.
The BMW was extensively damaged, while the Explorer and Freightliner were moderately damaged, according to the report.
Lewis said the patrol car was towed for repairs.