Man arrested for DWI after serious crash on Hwy. 54

A man from the St. Louis area was arrested for careless and imprudent driving andsix felony counts of second-degree assault, after he was accused of causing an accident in Cole County while under the influence.

Troopers say James O’Brien, 59, from Creve Coeur, Mo., was driving on Highway 54 when his SUV went off the road near Route E, about 15 minutes southwest of Jefferson City.

The Missouri Highway Patrol says O’Brien’s SUV went through the median, hitting another car that was stopped and waiting to turn south on Route E.

O’Brien’s wife and son went to Capital Region with moderate injuries.

Two teenagers and two young children were in the other vehicle. Joseph Evers, 7, the brother of the driver, was flown to University Hospital. Jaylin McKinney, 15, from Eugene and Gavin Reed, 6, of Jefferson City, were also seriously injured.