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I-55 closed for seven hours after 18-wheeler crash Friday in Miner; one person injured
MINER, Mo. — A crash involving an 18-wheeler carrying hazardous materials injured one and shut down traffic on Interstate 55 for seven hours Friday in Scott County.
At 5:11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 30, the Miner Police Department received a call of a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 55 at the 67 mile-marker in the construction zone, according to Capt. Nathan Rapert with Miner Police Department.
Miner Police Department arrived on scene and located an 18-wheeler truck in the median on the southbound side of I-55 and a passenger vehicle in the ditch on the northbound side of I-55.
The accident occurred as the southbound 18-wheeler driven by Adrian Russell of Walls, Mississippi, failed to negotiate a right turn to merge back onto the southbound side of the interstate and crashed through the construction signage and barrels.
Debris from the barrels struck a northbound passenger vehicle driven by Rodonna Allen of Sikeston, Missouri, causing Allen’s vehicle to travel off the right side of the roadway and strike a tree. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage during the crash, Rapert said.
Allen was transported via ambulance to a local hospital for moderate injuries. Russell was not injured in the crash.
“While on scene, it was learned the 18-wheeler was carrying hazardous materials, and those chemicals were leaking from the trailer of the vehicle,” Rapert said.
Both northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 55 were shut down, and traffic was re-routed through Miner and Sikeston during the time of the closure.
Interstate 55 was reopened around 12:15 p.m. Friday after crews cleaned up the debris and removed the hazardous materials from the area, according to Rapert.
Rupert expressed gratitude to all responding agencies.
“Incidents like this do not happen often in Miner, but when they do, it is nice to know that we have local agencies that are willing and able to assist during a critical incident such as this,” Rapert said. “Our agency had one officer on duty at the time of the incident, and to see the response of and hear the radio traffic of other agencies responding to offer their assistance is appreciated beyond words.”
The Miner Police Department, Miner Fire Department, Sikeston Department of Public Safety (Patrol, Fire and Rescue/Hazmat), Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, South Scott County Ambulance District, Missouri Department of Transportation, Department of Natural Resources and D&K Towing all responded to and assisted with this incident.