Personal Injury Law

Independence Woman Was Just the Second Fatality Since New Cable Medians Were Installed

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Patricia Troester, 61, was killed Tuesday when the 2008 Toyota she was driving crossed through the cable median on I-70 near Independence and struck oncoming traffic.

Cheryl Shaddox, 57, was one of the oncoming drivers hit by Troester?s vehicle. Shaddox was transported to Centerpoint Hospital with moderate injuries, according to the highway patrol.

It is not know what caused Troester?s vehicle to leave the roadway and cross the median. An investigation that includes an accident reconstruction will follow to determine how Troester lost control and if there were any faults in the cable median designed to prevent fatalities in incidents like this.

This is only the second such crossover fatality since the cable medians were installed at that location four years ago.

According to the Kansas City Star, in the seven years prior to the cable medians, 30 people died in 18 accidents along that same stretch of highway. According to the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the stretches of I-70 that have cable medians have seen more than a 90 percent decrease in crossover fatalities.

The cables are most effective when struck at less severe angles. In those cases, the posts give and the cables deflect up to 12 feet, slowing vehicles before they fully cross into oncoming traffic.

In Tuesday?s crash, a highway patrol engineer believes Troester?s vehicle likely hit the median head-on which was why it crossed into oncoming traffic.

Despite the safety record, cable medians have not been installed on all Missouri highways. The major reason is the expense. One mile of the cable barrier costs up to $100,000 to install and up to $10,000 dollars a year to maintain, according to the TRB.

The Bradley Law Firm has handled Missouri and Illinois car accident cases for over 30 years. If you have been involved in accident, contact us for a free, no obligation consultation.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on July 10, 2008 (boomark / email).