A devastating chain-reaction crash involving eight vehicles on Interstate 55 in Jefferson County, Missouri, left three people dead and five others injured on Sunday afternoon, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP).

The crash occurred around 3:30 p.m. on September 28th, near mile marker 173.8, close to Festus, Missouri.

According to MSHP, 45-year-old Richard A. Holden, a Louisiana-based truck driver, was operating a Freightliner Cascadia northbound on I-55 when he approached several vehicles traveling at reduced speed in the right lane. Troopers say Holden was “inattentive to slow moving traffic” and rear-ended a Toyota Camry, triggering a violent chain reaction that ultimately involved eight vehicles total, including seven passenger vehicles and the semi truck.

Crash Sequence

The force of the initial collision pushed the Toyota Camry into the back of a Nissan Pathfinder, which then struck a Kia Optima. The Kia collided with a Dodge Ram 1500, pushing it into a GMC 1500, which then hit a Toyota Corolla, before rotating and striking a Ford F-150.

Victims

• The driver and passenger of the Toyota Camry, a 63-year-old man and woman from Memphis, Tennessee, were pronounced dead at the scene.

• The driver of the Kia Optima, a 53-year-old woman from Pevely, Missouri, was also killed in the crash.

• Five others were injured:

  • Two suffered serious injuries

  • Two sustained moderate injuries

  • One had minor injuries

Arrest and Charges

Richard A. Holden was arrested and charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter. He was placed on a 24-hour hold in the Jefferson County Jail.

Traffic Disruption

The crash shut down both northbound and southbound lanes of I-55 for several hours as emergency personnel responded to the scene. All lanes were reopened by approximately 10:20 p.m. Sunday night.

The crash remains under active investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

According to First Alert 4 and MSHP reports.