Pedestrians are particularly vulnerable in any accident with a motor vehicle. Typically, people think of pedestrian accidents as occurring at a crosswalk, or along a city street when a driver fails to yield, or loses control of a vehicle. But pedestrian accidents can vary greatly in the facts from case to case.

Earlier this week, two separate pedestrians were injured in accidents along Interstate 70 on back-to-back days. A 23-year-old Columbia, Missouri man was struck early Monday by a tractor-trailer east of Range Line Street. Columbia Police do not know why the man was walking along I-70 around 12:45 Monday morning.

Authorities say that an Illinois man driving the semi attempted to swerve to avoid hitting the pedestrian, but the front end of the tractor struck the pedestrian in the right lane of I-70. The 23-year-old accident victim suffered life-threatening injuries and is being treated at University Hospital.

Less than 24 hours later, a pedestrian was struck on I-70 near O’Fallon, Missouri. The Tuesday evening accident also involved a tractor trailer. However, the Tuesday wreck involved several vehicles in a chain-reaction event. The Missouri Highway Patrol says that a Pontiac Firebird was disabled in the eastbound lanes of the interstate around 9:25 Tuesday evening. A 23-year-old O’Fallon man was outside the vehicle.

A tractor-trailer slammed into the stranded Pontiac, plowing the abandoned Firebird into the pedestrian along the shoulder. A Chevy Silverado approached the accident scene and authorities say that the driver tried to avoid slamming into the Pontiac, but crashed into the truck. The pedestrian suffered relatively minor injuries in the wreck. The driver of the Chevy and the truck each escaped injury, according to the Highway Patrol.

While that scene seemed to be settling down, a 49-year-old St. Louis, Missouri man approached the site. At around 9:40 p.m., authorities say that the St. Louis man swerved to avoid a vehicle along the Interstate near the wreck scene. Authorities say that the St. Louis man avoided other vehicles, but slammed into a guardrail. He sustained what authorities are characterizing as moderate injuries and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Sources:

• Columbia Daily Tribune, “Pedestrian hit by semi on I-70,” April 22, 2013
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Pedestrian struck, motorist hurt in chain-reaction crash on Interstate 70,” April 24, 2013