6 injured in I-44 car wreck
Six people were hospitalized, including three children, after a two-car accident Sunday on I-44 just east of St. James, Missouri.
The accident occurred when Carmen Archer, 52, slowed her 2005 Pontiac Bonneville in the passing lane as she prepared to make a u-turn at an emergency vehicle crossover. According to the investigating officer, a 2006 Dodge Caravan, driven by Ruth Faulkner, 53, then crashed into the rear of the Bonneville sending both vehicles off the highway.
Archer and Faulkner both suffered moderate injuries. Melanie Archer, 33; Chelsey Davis, 11; Hannah Faulkner, 10; and Rebecca Faulkner, 15, all suffered various injuries as passengers. All of the injured were taken by ambulance to Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla for treatment.
Despite the fact that Archer was slowing in the passing lane to make a u-turn, the “rear end doctrine” could place negligence on Faulkner. Under most circumstances Missouri law says that the at-fault driver’s negligence is presumed in rear impact car accidents. This is because attentive drivers should be in control of their cars at all times and be able to avoid such collisions if they are following other vehicles at a safe distance. More investigation of this accident is needed to see if this doctrine applies and which driver truly is liable for damages.
