SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Sept. 5, 2009) — Multi-vehicle crashes snarled traffic for hours on Interstate 44 on Saturday, blocking westbound traffic for miles from Exit 159 in St. Robert almost to Exit 163 and causing major damage to four different vehicles. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Timothy I. Orr, 34, of Highlandville, was westbound on Interstate 44 at 2:38 p.m. in a Honda car when he lost control on wet pavement, struck a concrete median barrier, and came to rest in the roadway. Orr suffered only minor injuries, but that wreck led to a much more serious crash 12 minutes later when a westbound 2008 Mercury Mariner driven by Janet M. Salzman, 71, of Queen Creek, Ariz., struck Orr’s car. Monika Q. Mallory, 27, of Waynesville, attempted to take evasive action but her 2007 Buick Rendezvous was struck by a 2007 Peterbuilt semi tractor and trailer driven by James C. Scott, 70, of Lebanon; Scott’s semi truck then struck Salzman’s Mercury and Orr’s car from the previous crash. Mallory’s Buick was then struck by another semi truck which continued westbound on Interstate 44. Missouri Department of Transportation personnel, working together with Mark Twain REACT and police and firefighters from both Waynesville and St. Robert, had set up a detour sending traffic onto Old Route 66 through the two cities and back onto Interstate 44 at Exit 156 via Ichord Avenue — a move which snarled traffic within the two cities not only on Old Route 66 but also on St. Robert Boulevard. MoDOT reported that all lanes of interstate traffic were reopened by 5:07 p.m., and traffic within the city limits cleared shortly thereafter. Janet Salzman and James Scott were not hurt, but Janet Salzman’s passenger, James C. Salzman, 67, also of Queen Creek, Ariz., suffered minor injuries. Mallory suffered moderate injuries and her passenger, Claudell Q. Haggard, 9, of Waynesville, suffered minor injuries.
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