My girlfriend and I were driving through Columbia, Missouri today and passed a really bad looking accident. I noticed no traffic going westbound on interstate 70, so I grabbed my camera and took several pictures. Please drive safe folks as these shots aren't pretty... Looks like what I think is a two car accident... One went off the highway and was burning down a steep valley and the other was in the center grass and looks like the jaws of life was used to cut the roof off to get the victim out. It was lightly raining at the time of the accident with low cloud cover.
BOONE COUNTY-Officials from Columbia and Boone County are still working to re-open Interstate 70 to drivers.
Traffic is at a standstill on I-70 west bound west of Columbia. Officials have closed both westbound lanes of I-70 at Mile Marker 115. Drivers are being detoured to Route 40. Officials say to expect delays.
Fire officials say a car going eastbound on I-70 crossed the median and hit a semi-truck going the opposite direction head on. The truck rolled over the guard rail and into the ravine off the shoulder of the road. The force of the crash sent the car back across the median into the eastbound lanes.
The two occupants of the car were taken to University Hospital with serious to life-threatening injuries. One of the occupants was thrown from the vehicle; the other had to be cut out by emergency responders.
There were also two occupants of the semi-truck. Both of them got out of the truck before emergency personnel arrived. They were taken to University Hospital with minor injuries.
The pictures you see were sent to us by a journalist from WEEK/WHOI in Peoria, Ill. He was traveling through the area at the time of the accident.
KOMU 8 will have continuing coverage as officials work to clean up the accident. We will bring you more information as it becomes available.
Seems survived lived the accident and are at the hospital, which is great news!
I just noticed that the car is sitting between a guard rail and a wire barrier... Insane!
