ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The highway patrol has released the names of the three people who were killed in a series of crashes on Interstate 270 early Wednesday morning.
It all started around 12:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes near Big Bend Road in Kirkwood. The Missouri State Highway Patrol described the incident as a multi-crash scene, meaning one crash triggered another crash that led to another one.
The first crash involved a tractor-trailer and a 2008 Pontiac G6. The driver of the car hit the center concrete wall, swerved back into the lanes and was hit by the tractor-trailer. The two people inside the car were killed. They were identified as Jessica Kaplan, a 33-year-old woman from St. Louis, and Nancy Hodge, a 31-year-old woman from Black Jack, Missouri.
In the moments after the crash, the tractor-trailer driver got out to check on the people in the car. While he was outside his vehicle, another car hit and killed him. He was identified as 66-year-old Spencer Perry from Gore, Oklahoma. The highway patrol report states a 17-year-old girl was behind the wheel of the car that hit Perry. She was not injured.
Two additional wrecks then happened. No one was injured in those crashes.
One red car at the scene appeared to be totaled with extensive damage. Two tractor-trailers also were stopped on the interstate near the scene. And while investigating overnight, 5 On Your Side saw police walking the nearby hillside, searching a grassy area with flashlights and a K-9 unit.
During the height of the investigation, the crash shut down all southbound lanes and also caused a couple northbound lanes to close. All lanes reopened at 6:40 a.m. but traffic may continue to be heavy throughout the rest of the morning rush.
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This is a developing story that will be updated as 5 On Your Side confirms more information.