ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Family members of two MODOT workers killed Thursday when they were struck by a car are now making funeral arrangements, instead of getting ready for Thanksgiving.
James Brooks, 58, and Kaitlyn Anderson, 25, were maintenance crew members who had been with MODOT for nine and two years, respectively.
It happened on Telegraph Road on the north end of the I-255 overpass.
5 On Your Side reached out to the loved ones of Anderson and Brooks on their ever-growing social media tributes.
Anderson’s aunt describes a determined, can-do woman who wanted nothing more than the unborn child she shared with her long-time boyfriend.
Tabatha Moore said, “She's been dating Austin for two years, so they were working up to engagement and talking about buying a house in July. They're expecting baby Jaxx. He was going to be here in March, right around her birthday.”
Anderson and her MODOT co-worker were killed when they were struck by a car while working behind their truck. A third MODOT worker, another man, is hospitalized with injuries.
Anderson lived with Moore and her husband and their three youngest children.
“I would get home from work and school with the kids,” said Moore, “and Kaitlyn would get home from work, and we would all eat dinner. Then, Kaitlyn and my daughter, Kayla, would go downstairs and listen to baby Jaxx's heartbeat together. That was their night routine - they would listen to his heartbeat and then get ready for bed.”
Moore says Kaitlyn’s stubborn nature applied to projects as well as the prospect of parenthood.
“You know – she was all about, ‘That’s all right, we don't need to hire anybody. Let’s figure out how to do it on our own!’ She just had this go-get-it, and this get-it-done drive, this will to make what she wanted to happen, happen, including Jaxx. She wanted him so badly.”
Moore’s voice broke with emotion.
Moore said they grew up in Cahokia, and Anderson graduated from Columbia, IL, High School.
There's still no word on the cause of the crash or if the driver who hit the MODOT workers will face charges.