Maybe it's distraction, maybe it's the sun. Whatever the reason, Cape Girardeau police report seeing more fender benders than usual over the last couple of days, according to Sgt. Kevin Orr.

Within 10 minutes Tuesday morning, police responded to a four-car chain reaction crash and a two-car, four-injury accident on Kingshighway.

Orr was still reviewing crash reports before the end of his shift Tuesday.

"There has been noticeably more accidents, especially in the very early morning hours," he said.

The reasons are unclear, he said, noting that some of the fender benders "occurred where there really hasn't been heavy traffic."

From time to time, a rash of accidents will occur, he said.

One Tuesday morning accident was a collision between a 2005 Chevrolet truck and a 1998 Ford Contour on Kingshighway just east of Interstate 55. The crash sent four people, three children and the adult driver, to Saint Francis Medical Center for treatment. Orr said one child, a 10-year-old, suffered a broken arm. Conditions on the others were not available.

In that accident, Orr said the truck's driver was going too fast for conditions.

"He also stated the glare from the sun may have contributed to him not being able to see the intersection clearly," Orr said.

Moments later, just west of I-55 on Kingshighway, a 2002 Ford Ranger slowed. Though the next two cars, a 2004 GMC Sonoma and a 1997 Jeep Cherokee, followed suit, the fourth car, a 1990 Volkswagen, did not. The Volkswagen hit the Cherokee, which banged into the Sonoma, sending it into the back of the Ranger.

That was a simple case, Orr said, of vehicles traveling too closely together.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127