A Kirkwood Police SUV was totaled after it was hit a by a car driven by a 25-year-old Festus man Nov. 21 on I-44 west of Berry Road.
A Festus man, two Festus children and a Kirkwood Police officer were injured Sunday afternoon (Nov. 21) in a three-vehicle accident on I-44 west of Berry Road in St. Louis County. In addition, the Festus man was arrested for an alleged violation of a child protection order, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported.
At 2:16 p.m., the 25-year-old Festus man, in an eastbound 2018 Chevrolet Cruze, reportedly was inattentive and struck the driver side of a police SUV that was stopped with its emergency lights on. The Cruze began to skid, struck an eastbound big rig that was disabled on the side of the highway. The Cruze then ran off the right side of the road and struck a guardrail, the report said.
According to the Kirkwood Police Department’s Facebook page, Kirkwood Police Officer David W. Reich, 36, of Kirkwood was injured in the crash.
Reich had pulled over to help Vasovic Miodrag, 38, of Miami, Fla., who had been driving a 2016 Freightliner Conventional. It was stalled on the side of I-44.
The post said Reich positioned his marked police vehicle, a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe, partially on the shoulder of the roadway and partially in the far-right lane to protect the stranded driver.
Kirkwood Police Officer Gary Baldridge wrote in the Facebook post that the Cruze driven by the Festus man sideswiped the police vehicle, trapping Reich in the SUV. Reich got out of the damaged Tahoe with help from responding fire department personnel and walked to an ambulance.
Reich had moderate injuries and was taken to Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur, where he was treated and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.
No injuries were reported for Miodrag.
The Festus man had minor injuries, and he was taken by private conveyance to Mercy Hospital St. Louis, where he also was treated and released, the spokeswoman said.
Two Festus children in the Cruze also were hurt, including a 1-year-old boy who had minor injuries and was taken by private conveyance to Mercy Hospital St. Louis, and a 10-year-old girl, who was moderately injured and taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital St. Louis.
No information about the children’s conditions was available. The highway patrol did not release their names because they’re juveniles.
Miodrag, the Festus man and the children were wearing seat belts or using safety devices, and Reich was exempt from using one, the patrol reported.
The Tahoe was totaled, the Cruze was extensively damaged, and the big rig had minor damage, the report said.
The highway patrol arrested the Festus man at 6:30 p.m., and he was being held at the St. Louis County Jail, the report said.
His name will not be published unless charges are filed against him.
This story updates an earlier report on myleaderpaper.com adding details about the driver of the SUV and the crash.