Cape Girardeau man killed in early morning crash on I-55

The headline of this story has been updated.

An early morning accident left one dead and closed the southbound lanes of Interstate 55 for several hours.

According to the state Highway Patrol, at 4:43 a.m. Tuesday, a vehicle driven by Lauren D. Reece, 61, of Cape Girardeau was disabled in the roadway on I-55 at the 75.8 mile marker following a non-injury crash.

A semi-truck, driven by Jerome Rivers, 58, of Summersville, Tennessee, was southbound on I-55 and struck the rear of Reece's vehicle. Reece's vehicle then struck the cable barrier.

Reece was pronounced dead at the scene by Scott County Coroner Scott Branum at 5:05 a.m.

The southbound lanes at Benton, Missouri, exit 80 were closed for several hours with one lane reopening shortly before 8 a.m. and both lanes reopening at approximately 9:30 a.m.