Ten minutes before 11pm on Sunday, May 18th, a massive collision sparked on Lewis and Clark Boulevard, north of Comet Drive in St. Louis County, Missouri. As a Nissan Altima was traveling northbound, they were slammed into—head-on—by a Chevrolet sedan being driven by a 25-year-old man. In the collision, the man seriously injured a juvenile occupant in his vehicle, while claiming the lives of the driver and an occupant of the Altima. The driver of the Chevrolet also sustained fatal injuries in the collision, and all three were pronounced dead on the scene.
Eliminating distractions while behind the wheel is a life saving measure—all drivers have a responsibility to themselves, their passengers, and other drivers to follow the laws. Careless and Imprudent Driving is a serious criminal offense that can carry substantial jail time and hefty fines if convicted. The charge can be applied to excessive speed, recklessness, and more specifically, crossing over the center line and causing an accident. Luckily, Missouri law enforcement officers do their best to catch the criminally negligent drivers before they cause harm to anyone else. Those that cause accidents while being negligent on the roads, and do harm to others, deserve to be punished for violating laws and regulations put in place to maintain safety.