Six people dead after 135-vehicle crash in Missouri

Six people are confirmed to have been killed following a severe car accident in Missouri that claimed a total of 135 vehicles.

The coroner for Mississippi County, Terry Parker, confirmed the deaths on Thursday, saying that he is also “in the process of identifying the deceased and notifying the families of those who were killed.” 

In a statement on Facebook, the Scott County Fire Department wrote that over 135 vehicles were involved in the pile-up. “Dozens of fire, ems, and law enforcement agencies responded to this mass casualty motor vehicle collision from Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky that involved over 135 vehicles,” the agency said, adding that firefighters had been at the scene for six hours.

The post continued, saying, “Towing operators from Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky are remaining on [scene] to assist with vehicle recoveries.” 

“Please keep the remaining personnel and towing operators on scene in your thoughts and prayers for their safety during this extensive cleanup operation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their families involved in this tragedy,” the agency closed out their statement by saying.

The East Prairie Police Department also commented on the crash Thursday evening. “This is the most horrendous accident I’ve seen in my lifetime,” wrote the department spokesperson on Facebook. “The amount of assistance from Departments, First Responders, Ems, Fire Departments, MSHP, MSCO, Charleston DPS, Illinois Departments and many more who responded is just simply God’s work for mankind.” 

The director of the Charleston Department of Public Safety, Robert Hearne, said earlier on Thursday that fog was a major factor in the incident as he noted they first received calls about the pile-up around 8 a.m.

“As we approached the interstate, it was a very thick fog, you couldn’t – the visibility was less than 50 feet, so, the traffic had already backed up,” he explained. “We had multiple accidents on both sides of the interstate, the north and southbound lanes were shut down.”