WARRENTON, Mo. -- A Jefferson City woman was killed and eight others suffered serious injuries in a nine-vehicle, chain-reaction accident Wednesday afternoon that closed Interstate 70 for about 14 hours.
Lynn R. Hebenheimer, 63, Jefferson City, was pronounced dead at the accident scene, about an hour after the chain-reaction began, by a Warren County sheriff's deputy acting on behalf of the county coroner.
The Missouri Highway Patrol said the multiple accidents happened at the 193-mile marker, near Warrenton, at 4:27 p.m. Wednesday - as a severe thunderstorm moved through the area.
Troopers said the accidents began when Alyssa A. Brown, 20, Branson, lost control of her eastbound 2003 Jeep Liberty, and hit the right side of an eastbound 2007 Ford Mustang, driven by Julie K. Green, 43, Imperial.
That collision caused the Mustang to hit the left side of an eastbound 2014 Volvo tractor, driven by Alejandro M. Medina, 30, of Oceanside, Calif.
The Jeep hit the median wall and stopped and the Mustang stopped in the left lane.
Medina's tractor-trailer rig then crossed through the median cables and hit Hebenheimer's westbound 2013 Chrysler 300 - apparently ripping the car in half.
Troopers said the tractor-trailer then overturned, and the trailer was hit by a westbound 2013 Volvo tractor-trailer unit driven by Thomas C. Gray, 62, Hermitage, Tenn.
A westbound 2003 Peterbilt tractor, driven by Justin W. Madill, 39, Amarillo, Texas, then hit the trailer of Gray's unit.
The patrol said a westbound 2008 Dodge Avenger, driven by Sergio S. Jimenez, 34, Warrenton, then hit one of the trailers.
A westbound 1998 GMC Sierra, driven by Ammon E. Lacy, 56, Warrenton, ran off the right side of I-70 and was hit by the rear part of Hebenheimer's car.
And a westbound 2007 Ford Fusion, driven by Patricia R. Zuroweste, 83, Warrenton, ran off the right side of I-70 and overturned, landing upright on the North Outer Road.
MoDOT said one of the trucks was carrying cattle, another lettuce and the third, paper.
Brown, the driver of the Jeep, wasn't reported as hurt. But the other seven drivers, and a passenger in Medina's truck, were listed in serious condition at St. Charles and St. Louis area hospitals. All were expected to survive.
MoDOT said all I-70 lanes were reopened before 7 a.m. Thursday.
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