Officials share safe driving tips after 4 die in 3 crashes within a week on Highway 63
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Following three fatal crashes on Highway 63 that led to four deaths within as many days, the Missouri State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to stay safe and slow down, especially at intersections.
Sgt. Kyle Green with the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Troop F -- which covers much of Mid-Missouri -- said the patrol sees a majority of serious injury crashes around intersections.
"That would be the traffic that's either trying to cross (Highway) 63 or merge onto 63 for the most part," Green said. "If people would slow down, not fall too close, do the things that they're supposed to be doing, we shouldn't have any crashes out there at all, but unfortunately, we have some individuals that, you know, choose not to do those things."
Moberly Middle School teacher Ashley Apel was killed in a crash on Friday while her vehicle was stuck in traffic on Highway 63, waiting to pass another crash near Breedlove Drive. Her vehicle was rear-ended by a Jeep. Three other teachers in her vehicle, as well as the driver of the Jeep, were injured in that crash.
According to data from the Highway Patrol, Troop F has responded to 75 crashes with injuries or deaths on Highway 63 since January 2024.
Trent Brooks, Central District Traffic Engineer with MoDOT, said the department uses data to make decisions on safety improvements.
"Any crash that occurs that has a report done, we're able to access that through the Highway Patrol's system, and so we're able to to look at (Highway) 63 and other corridors just to kind of see what is happening," Brooks said. "We do that on a regular basis and we'll continue to do that."
Brooks said MoDOT will start planning for safety improvements at Highway 63 intersection with Route CC near Sturgeon as part of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan.
"We're going to be, looking at the intersection for safety improvements and that possible improvement could be installation of the J turn, similar to what we've done at other intersections on the corridor," says Brooks.
The Mid-Mo Annual Transportation Needs Meeting took place Tuesday afternoon, which included six improvement needs for Highway 63. Those include crossover safety improvements through the Highway 63 corridor, lighting and turn improvements at Route CC near Sturgeon, the Improve I-70 Project, creating an outer road east of Highway 63 to connect Route H with Routes M and Y in Ashland, adding a new overpass in Ashland at Route T and adding a third lane between Broadway and Stadium Boulevard.