Police release report on Thursday I-55 crash

A Thursday crash that shut down traffic on Interstate 55 at Scott City was the result of one vehicle rear-ending another after a different crash slowed traffic.

According to the accident report released by the Scott City Police Department, at about 7:50 a.m. a Toyota Tacoma driven northbound by Benjamin Schlegel of Cape Girardeau slowed near mile marker 91 because traffic had backed up as the result of a previous accident at mile marker 93. At that time, Schlegel's vehicle was hit in the rear by a Nissan Altima driven by Michael McKenzie of Jackson. The impact caused Schlegel's vehicle to run off the left side of the road and roll over multiple times, throwing Schlegel into the grass in the median. Schlegel's vehicle then went airborne over the median wire barriers, coming to a rest in the southbound lane of the interstate.

Schlegel received a broken arm, broken ribs and multiple cuts as a result of the crash, and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. McKenzie was not injured, and was issued a summons by Scott City police for failure to drive with care.

Cape Girardeau police responded to the crash at mile marker 93, and police spokesman Darin Hickey said last week it was a noninjury accident.

Pertinent address:

Interstate 55, Scott City, Mo.