FESTUS, Mo. (Oct. 2, 2025) — A truck driver is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say he caused an eight-vehicle crash that killed three people and seriously injured others on northbound Interstate 55 in Jefferson County Sunday afternoon.

According to a probable cause statement filed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Richard Allen Holden, age 46, of Greensburg, LA was identified by law enforcement as the driver of a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia tractor-trailer that was traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour when it slammed into a line of slow-moving traffic around 3:27 p.m. on Sept. 28, 2025 near mile marker 183.6.

The chain-reaction crash involved seven other vehicles, including a 2025 Toyota, 2020 Nissan, 2013 Kia, 2017 Ram, 2015 GMC, 2015 Toyota, and a 2018 Ford. Prosecutors say Holden made little to no effort to slow down before colliding with the vehicles, despite clearly marked construction and merge signs warning of lane closures.

Dash camera footage from the Freightliner showed the truck struck multiple vehicles in succession, beginning with the 2025 Toyota and ending with the 2018 Ford. A witness driving nearby told investigators she noticed Holden’s truck was not slowing down and attempted to create distance before watching it crash into the stopped traffic.

Paramedics from the Joachim Plattin Ambulance District confirmed three fatalities at the scene. Victim 1, the driver of the 2025 Toyota Vanessa Knowles, age 63, of Memphis, Tennessee; Victim 2, a passenger in that vehicle Donnie Briggs, age 66, of Memphis, Tennessee; and Victim 3, the driver of the 2013 Kia Darla P. Parris, age 53, of Pevely, Missouri, were all pronounced dead on site.

Holden told authorities he may have dozed off and recalled hearing crashing sounds. He reportedly stated, “I was looking out the window and thought I was slowing down for the construction zone. Next thing I know I hear crashing.” A preliminary breath test conducted at the scene showed Holden had no alcohol in his system. Holden claims he, “may have dozed off.”

On Monday, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney filed three counts of involuntary manslaughter in the second degree against Holden, a Class E felony under Missouri law. Prosecutors allege Holden acted with criminal negligence by failing to maintain a safe distance from the vehicles ahead.

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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