A 29-year-old Pevely man who was seriously hurt early Tuesday morning (Nov. 8) in a wrong-way accident on I-55 south of Festus was arrested for alleged assault and suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Three other men were hurt in the wreck, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reports.
At 12:40 a.m., the Pevely man was headed north in a 2002 Ford Ranger in the southbound lanes of I-55 at mile marker 172, and the front of the pickup struck the front left side of a southbound car, a 2007 Toyota Camry driven by Aaron J. Shofner, 19, of Jackson, the report said.
After the collision, both drivers lost control, and the pickup overturned and struck a median cable barrier. Debris from the pickup struck a Highway Patrol car, a 2015 Dodge Charger that was parked on the right shoulder of the interstate while dealing with another incident, according to the report.
The Pevely man was taken by helicopter to Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur and was scheduled to be discharged today (Nov. 10), a hospital spokeswoman said.
Shofner was seriously hurt, too, and he was taken by helicopter to SSM St. Louis University Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition today, a hospital spokesman said.
Two passengers in the Camry – Charles Vanderbol, 19, of Oak Ridge and Zachary A. Weatherhead, 18, of Johnstown, Colo. – sustained moderate injuries and were taken by Joachim-Plattin Ambulance to Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City but then were transferred to Mercy Hospital St. Louis, and they both were discharged Nov. 9, a hospital spokeswoman said.
The trooper, Deryk A. Weber, 24, of Weldon Spring, was not hurt, the report said.
It’s unknown if the Pevely man was wearing a seat belt, but all the others involved in the accident were wearing them, the patrol reported.
The Ranger and Camry were totaled, and the Charger sustained minor damage, the report said.
The Pevely man was arrested at the hospital for three counts of second-degree assault and for misdemeanor DWI, the report said.