A 16-year-old girl died early Saturday in a crash near Bonne Terre, Missouri, after fleeing from law enforcement in St. Francois County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed the teen lost control of her 2013 Buick SUV during the pursuit, causing the vehicle to roll multiple times near a flea market parking lot.
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How the Crash Unfolded
According to witnesses, officers deployed spike strips on Highway 67 around 9:30 a.m. as part of the pursuit. The teen swerved to avoid them, left the roadway, and the vehicle rolled. She was ejected from the vehicle during the crash and died at the scene. Her name has not been released, in keeping with a policy that withholds victim identities from public reports.
A Community Shaken
A local resident named Ketcherside, who witnessed the aftermath, described the scene as difficult to process. “It was awful,” she said. “What was going on to where she felt like she couldn’t stop, she had to keep going?” She noted that numerous families were in the area at the time of the crash. “Thank God it landed where it did,” she said. “Had it come any closer, it could have been even worse.”
A Reminder About Pursuit Safety
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Andrew Gadberry urged drivers to remain alert and avoid stopping near active police pursuits, noting that doing so can contribute to additional accidents.
A Community in Mourning
Ketcherside said she later saw people she believed to be the teen’s family near the crash site. “Keep that girl’s family in your prayers,” she said. “She was a child. She didn’t get to live a full life.”
Investigation Ongoing
The St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office has not released information about why the teenager was fleeing from deputies, and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.