St. Louis woman killed in I-55 crash near Scott City

A St. Louis woman was killed in a one-vehicle accident on Interstate 55 Tuesday morning, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The accident occurred around 8:30 a.m. in Scott County, about a mile and a half south of Scott City. Amanda L. Quinonez, 37, was traveling northbound, struck the median and went off the embankment, said Cpl. Michael Lynch. Witnesses said it appeared Quinonez fell asleep at the wheel. She was pronounced dead at the scene. "We don't know for sure if she fell asleep at the wheel, but she hit the median and never hit the brake," Lynch said. Traffic speeds were reduced for around two hours due to one northbound lane near the scene being blocked off. The highway patrol reopened the lane of traffic around 11 a.m., after officers finished investigating the accident.