FESTUS, Mo. — In a shocking update to the tragic I-55 construction zone crash, truck driver Richard Allen Holden, 45, admitted to investigators:

“I think I might have dozed off.”

According to The Sun Holden made the statement to troopers after his 2022 Freightliner Cascadia plowed through five cars at full speed in slowed traffic on Sunday afternoon, near Festus, Missouri. His admission adds critical insight into the chain-reaction crash that left three people dead and four others injured — one still in critical condition.

“Next thing I know, I hear crashing.”

Holden told troopers he thought he was slowing down:

“I was looking out the window and thought I was slowing down for the construction zone. Next thing I know, I hear crashing.”

A probable cause statement revealed the truck showed “minimal or even no attempt” to brake, underscoring the devastating nature of the crash. Dashcam footage confirmed the rig never slowed down before smashing into a line of vehicles in the congested construction area.

Holden is now charged with three counts of second-degree involuntary manslaughter.

Remembering the Victims

The crash killed three people:

• Vanessa Y. Knowles, 63, of Memphis, Tennessee

• Donnie Briggs, 66, of Memphis, Tennessee

• Darla P. Parris, 53, of Pevely, Missouri

Parris was running a work errand in her white Kia, just feet from her exit, when she was killed. Her family said her vehicle was “mangled beyond recognition.”

Parris’ mother, Brenda, said the crash happened one day after the second anniversary of her husband’s death, making the grief even deeper.

Her sisters, Amy Hallemann and Eva Faulkner, described her as the heart of the family, a loving mother of three daughters and grandmother of six. They blamed Holden for falling asleep behind the wheel:

“You’re driving a deadly weapon,” said Hallemann.
“To fall asleep and be that negligent, and take people’s lives… I don’t know how you can live with yourself.”

Construction Zone Conditions Questioned

Family members also pointed to poorly marked lane closures and minimal warning in the construction zone.

“If traffic was flowing like normal, maybe she wouldn’t have been sitting there,” said Hallemann.
“You have a second to decide which lane to go into. It’s scary,” added Faulkner.

Authorities Warn Against Drowsy Driving

Sergeant Andrew Gadberry of the Missouri State Highway Patrol emphasized that fatigued driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving.

“Take a nap. It’s better than dealing with what we’re dealing with right now,” he said.

A breath test showed no alcohol in Holden’s system.


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