UNION, MO (KTVI) – One person was killed when a concrete mixer truck slammed head-on into a small car in Franklin County. It happened Wednesday afternoon around 2:30 on Highway 47 between Washington and Union, Missouri. Adriene Benne saw the aftermath, “I was extremely shocked these cars were mangled like no other it was terrible.”
The highway was shut down in both directions for hours. The Missouri Highway Patrol said a small orange vehicle was stopped northbound when authorities said it appeared the driver of a white Ford Escape was not paying attention and plowed into the back of it pushing it into oncoming traffic. A concrete mixer truck traveling southbound smashed head-on into the orange car killing the driver of the car. Highway Patrol Trooper Sgt. Al Nothum said, “There’s no way one’s going to win that battle each time.”
The concrete truck was not full, still it was heavy. At least four tow trucks arrived on the scene. It took two of them; one had a crane, to remove the concrete truck from the side of the road. The crash reconstruction team began its investigation. Sgt. Nothum added, “The lesson to be learned here is you have to pay attention at all times once again the number one cause of traffic crashes is in-attention.” 17-year-old Adrienne Benne said, “Definitely makes me need to be more aware because anything can happen on the road obviously.”
Late Wednesday night authorities released the name of the victim killed the accident. Jared Gandy, 34, of Grey Summit was the driver killed in the orange car. A 79-year-old woman from Union MO was the driver of the car that rear-ended the the orange car. Her injuries and the injuries of the concrete truck driver are described as being moderate.
It will be up to the local prosecutor to determine if anyone will be charged in the accident.
