FESTUS, Mo. (9/29/2025) – A chain-reaction crash involving eight vehicles left three people dead and several others injured Sunday afternoon on northbound Interstate 55, just south of Festus exit at the 173.8 mile marker.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the crash occurred on Sunday Sept. 28, 2025, at approximately 3:27 p.m. when a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia failed to slow for traffic and struck the rear of a 2025 Toyota Camry. The initial impact triggered a pileup involving seven other vehicles, all traveling slowly in the right lane.

The Camry was pushed forward, causing a domino effect of rear-end collisions that ultimately involved vehicles ranging from pickup trucks to sedans and SUVs. The Freightliner, driven by a 45-year-old man from Greensburg, Louisiana, also struck the side of a 2018 Ford F-150 during the crash.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene at 3:32 p.m. by emergency medical personnel. The deceased include the 63-year-old female driver and a 63-year-old male occupant of the Toyota Camry, both from Memphis, Tennessee, and the 53-year-old female driver of a 2013 Kia Optima from Pevely, Missouri.

Five other drivers were injured. A 27-year-old man from Crystal City and a 34-year-old man from Barnhart sustained moderate and serious injuries, respectively. A 54-year-old man from Arnold and a 61-year-old woman from Rossville, TN also suffered moderate to serious injuries, while the Freightliner’s driver sustained minor injuries. All were transported to Mercy Hospital South by Joachim Plattin Ambulance.

According to the Highway Patrol, the Freightliner’s driver was inattentive to traffic conditions leading up to the crash. All vehicles were towed from the scene by Miners Towing.

The investigation is ongoing.

Paul Barnard Editor

Paul Barnard is the editor of the Twin City News. Barnard Graduated from Norwich University, America's oldest private military college, with a B.S. in Communications and Media Technology. There he studied journalism and marketing. For years after, Barnard was in law enforcement and gained experience in the Special Investigations Unit and publishing all the department's press releases. As Barnard's family grew, he moved on to start Twin City News.

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