Eastbound Route 54 near Holts Summit reopens after wrong-way crash kills two
UPDATE 8:11 am: ABC17 looked into public records this morning to see if there was a criminal history of Christopher Edwards, the driver going the wrong way. ABC17 found a number of driving related charges.
Throughout the years Edwards has been arrested for operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manor, operating a motor vehicle with a license revoked, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, and DWIs.
ABC17 is talking with troopers to see why Edwards was driving on the wrong side of the road.
UPDATE 5:45am: A crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol has identified the people killed in Wednesday morning’s crash on Highway 54.
Troopers say 40-year-old Christopher Edwards, of Fulton, was driving the wrong way on the road when he hit 32-year-old Christopher Steeleman, of New Bloomfield, head-on.
The vehicle Edwards was driving apparently caught on fire after the collision and the vehicle Steeleman was driving reportedly rolled.
The crash report says neither drivers were wearing seatbelts.
This is Troop F’s 4th and 5th fatalities for 2017.
UPDATE 5:35am: Highway 54 near AA is now reopened.
UPDATE 3:55am: Troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirm two people have died after a wrong-way crash.
They tell ABC 17 News the call came out around 12:22 Wednesday morning.
Troopers say a driver was going westbound in the eastbound lanes and hit another vehicle.
The wrong way driver and the driver hit were both killed in the crash.
Troopers say they have no information yet on the ages or names of the victims. They say they are working to notify families now.
The highway patrol says several miles of the road are blocked due to the amount of debris from the crash. They say MoDOT is working to clean that up now and say they hope to have the road reopened within the hour.
ORIGINAL: MoDOT says crews have shut down the eastbound lanes of Highway 54 east of Route AA.
ABC 17 News first started hearing reports about the crash around 12:45 Wednesday morning. Reports indicate that a person may have died in the crash, but ABC 17 News is still working to confirm that with authorities.
MoDOT say delays are expected, but did not indicate how long the road would remain closed.
ABC 17 News has crews near the scene right now working to find out what caused the crash and if anyone died.
They say they saw a car with significant damage in the median of the highway.
A few miles of the eastbound lanes are blocked off and crews are redirecting traffic.
Troopers and firefighters are on scene.
Watch ABC 17 News This Morning for a live report from the scene.
