Crash after chase closes Interstate 70 west of Columbia
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A crash closed eastbound Interstate 70 west of Columbia after a chase Wednesday.
Cooper County deputies and Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers chased a suspect into Boone County, Boone County Sheriff's Office Capt. Brian Leer said. Boone County deputies were called to help by putting out spike strips, Leer said.
The road had reopened by 1 p.m.
The chase started with an attempted traffic stop at the 103 mile marker, Cooper County Sheriff's Office Major Kerry Webster said. The chase went along at normal speeds until spike strips were used at the 121 mile marker and the vehicle stopped on a ramp, Webster said.
Webster said a crash in the area happened because of the traffic backup from the chase but did not involve vehicles in the chase.
Boone County emergency dispatchers said in an alert that a police incident had closed down I-70 eastbound a little after 11 a.m.
According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, a 2024 Hyundai Tucson – driven by Sai Reddy, 31, of Kansas City -- was driving behind a 2010 Honda CRV in the passing lane. A 2022 Chevrolet 4500 was next to the Honda in the driving lane, the report says. A 2001 Acura was in front of the of the Honda and a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado was in front of the Chevrolet 4500, the report says.
The report says traffic was stopped “due to an unrelated incident.” A 2020 Toyota Highlander and four of the other vehicles were stopped when Reddy’s vehicle hit the Honda and the Chevrolet 4500. The crash in turn caused those two vehicles to hit the Acura and Chevrolet Silverado, the report says.
The Toyota was hit with debris, though it was not clear which vehicle the debris came from, the report says.
Four occupants in the Hyundai were injured, the report says. Reshma Mantri, 22, of Kansas City, had serious injuries; Rayala Vasavi, 22, of Overland Park, Kansas, had moderate injuries; Navyasre Chenchu, 24, of St. Louis, had moderate injuries; and Reddy had minor injuries. All four people were brought to University Hospital by ambulance.
All drivers and occupants reported in the crash were wearing seatbelts, the report states.
The Hyundai and the Honda were totaled, while the Chevrolets and the Acura had moderate damage and the Toyota had minor damage, the report says.
