Woman dies of injuries in I-55 crash south of Cape Girardeau

A woman was killed in a rollover collision on Interstate 55 on Wednesday morning just south of Cape Girardeau.

Three vehicles were involved in the collision about 8 a.m. — a diesel tanker truck, a Chevrolet Blazer and a Nissan Armada SUV — all headed south toward Scott City.

The tanker truck collided with the Armada, which then crashed into the Blazer. The tanker truck continued south, hitting the Blazer, causing the SUV to be pushed into the median.

The Blazer then rolled over, crashed across the median of the highway and came to rest in the northbound shoulder. Both the driver and passenger were thrown from the vehicle, according to Cape Girardeau police public information officer Richard McCall.

The female passenger in that vehicle was killed, according to Coroner John Clifton. The name of the woman has not been released, pending the notification of next of kin. The driver and passenger were taken to Saint Francis Medical Center by ambulance. The driver then was taken to a St. Louis hospital in critical condition.

Skid marks of the crash began in the left lane of southbound I-55 and extended to the point of impact about 50 yards into the median. The tanker truck and Armada remained upright and did not sustain extensive damage.

The driver of the Armada was taken to a hospital by a personal vehicle. The driver of the tanker truck was uninjured, McCall said. The tanker was empty at the time, McCall said.

Cape Girardeau police closed the southbound lanes of I-55 for about a mile from the time of the collision to 9:07 a.m. Both lanes were open by 10:15 a.m. Northbound lanes were closed at the site of the crash and reopened at 9:50 a.m.

Cape Girardeau police are investigating the cause of the collision with the help of the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash team in Jackson.

McCall said it is department policy to not release the names of people involved in motor vehicle accidents unless there were citations or charges.

McCall said there may be charges or citations as a result of the accident.

bkleine@semissourian.com

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