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April 2004 Highway Reports

April 2, 2004 - 4:05pm - Unit #220 was travelling south on I-170 when he noticed heavy traffic backing up in the slow lane, just past the Forest Park Parkway exit. 220 looked ahead and noticed a stalled minivan blocking traffic. 220 immediately called 9-1-1 and was "passed over" to two different police dispatchers until he was able to come in contact with the Clayton Police Department. The dispatcher stated to the officer that the stalled vehicle was on "Forest Park Parkway under I-170". When a Ladue Police officer drove by in his unmarked car, 220 waved and pointed to varify his position. Within ten minutes, Clayton Police arrived and the officer stated that "our dispatchers are stupid" and apologized for the confusion. 220 even told the officer that he gave the Clayton Police dispatcher his cell phone number is case there was any confusion, and they never called back for verification. 220 left the scene soon after that and was thanked by the motorist and the officer for sticking around.

April 3, 2004 - 12:15am - Unit #220 helped with traffic control at a house fire in Ballwin. The fire went to two alarms before it was brought under control. The owners of the residential home were away on vacation in Florida at the time of the fire.

April 3, 2004 - 1:20am - Unit #220 assisted with traffic control at a vehicle accident on Gravois Rd over I-270 in Sunset Hills. The Missouri State Highway Patrol and Sunset Hills Police Department had their patrol cars blocking the entrance ramp from southbound I-270 onto westbound Gravois Road so 220 used his truck to block the right lane of eastbound Gravois Road to protect the ambulance. 220 then stopped traffic so the ambulance could back itself onto Gravois Road safely and then get on its way to the nearest hospital. 220 opened up traffic again and parked his vehicle on the shoulder while the MHP vehicle remained at the scene near the victim's car. 220 walked back to the MHP officer and asked what had happened. The officer stated that the driver was not even 21 years old and had been drinking and totaled her car into a ditch. The officer thanked 220 for his help.

April 4, 2004 - 1:55pm - Unit #220 assisted Des Peres Police Department with a stranded motorist on I-270 north of Dougherty Ferry Rd. The motorist was changing the flat tire but had trouble with the jack, which caused it to slip. 220 offered his hydraulic jack and tire iron and helped with changing it. The driver (and friends) thanked 220 for helping them out.

April 4, 2004 - 9:35pm - Unit #220 assisted a stranded motorist on South Outer Forty Drive east of Maryville Center Drive. A radiator hose blew in the engine and 220 provided the motorist with a list of tow truck companies that were close to the area. 220 stayed with the vehicle until a tow truck arrived.

April 13, 2004 - 2:50pm - Unit #220 assisted Kirkwood Police Department with a one-vehicle accident at Big Bend Blvd in front of Meramec Community College. The Kirkwood Police officer thanked 220 for his assistance and 220 left the scene.

April 18, 2004 - 10:00pm - Unit #220 attempted to assist a young teenager with a stalled vehicle on I-270 just north of I-44. When 220 arrived, the driver stated he was having a fuel problem and the vehicle cut out on him. 220 waited and suggested a few things, one of them being to have a tow truck come out and tow it to a service station in the area. The teen didn't want to tow it so the teen shook the rear end of the vehicle so that it bounced furiously and removed the clogged item in the fuel tank. As it was later learned he accidently put 2-cycle oil into a 4-cylinder engine. A Kirkwood Police officer happened to come along, and 220 relayed the situation to him. 220 then left the scene.

April 23, 2004 - 9:00pm - Unit #65 (with unit #02 riding along) were on Lindbergh Blvd. at Sappington Rd. when they spotted a minivan with the flashers on in the left turn lane from northbound Lindbergh onto Sappington. At that moment, a call when out over the scanner for a vehicle fire at that location. 65 turned on his lights and turned around to get behind the van. The fire station was right across the street so 65 sat behind the van with his arrow stick on to get cars out of the left turn lane. The fire truck arrived a minute later. A few minutes after that, a St. Louis County Police car pulled up behind 65. 65 pulled away and let the officer take his position behind the van.

April 24, 2004 - 8:35am - Unit #220 noticed an unoccupied vehicle blocking the right lane near 2023 Lemay Ferry Road and contacted St Louis County Police. 220 remained on the scene until help arrived and it was at about that same time that the owner of the vehicle re-emerged with a fuel can. 220 then proceeded to Jefferson Barracks Park for the WWII re-enactments.

April 24, 2004 - 9:30pm - Unit #65 (with unit #02 riding along) came across a vehicle accident on southbound I-270 south of Highway 30. They saw a tractor trailer sideways across the Interstate blocking two lanes. People were standing on the shoulder and appeared to be alright. Police were not at the scene yet so 65 stopped in the right lane and turned his arrow stick on to get cars out of the blocked lanes. A few minutes later the police arrived but they entered the Interstate ahead of the truck. 65 waved traffic over to the left so the police cars could back up around the truck. They got behind 65 and started laying flares on the road. After a few minutes, police had the scene under control so 65 and 02 left the scene.

April 24, 2004 - 10:00pm - Unit #65 (with unit #02 riding along) stopped to check on a motorist on the shoulder of northbound I-270 just north of I-44. The motorist was under the vehicle when 02 and 65 walked up and he asked 65 if he could use his flashlight. 65 gave it to him. The man was apparently trying to secure the muffler. After a few minutes, he secured it and thanked 65 for use of his flashlight.

April 25, 2004 - 10:20pm - Unit #220 assisted the Des Peres Police with information regarding a series of vehicles with flat tires on the northbound and southbound sides of I-270 in the area of Manchester Road. 220 was headed southbound on I-270 at Manchester Road when he noticed a dump truck carrying a backhoe on a trailer parked on the shoulder of the highway. As soon as he passed the truck, he saw a series of vehicles lined up on the shoulder just south of him with their emergency flashers on. 220 spoke with one of the drivers. He told 220 that he struck an object in the road, but couldn’t determine what the item was. 220 contacted the Des Peres Police dispatcher and relayed what he knew. Des Peres Police, Town & Country Police, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol all responded to the same general location looking for the object in question. As 220 got to the last vehicle on the southbound side, the driver stated that he hit an object that looked to be like a big piece of metal located on the southbound side of I-270. At that moment, a Des Peres police officer came walking down towards 220 and said “we haven’t been able to locate the object”. 220 left the scene and started driving on the northbound side of I-270, because he now saw cars stopping on the shoulder of that side of the Interstate. 220 spoke with a driver on the shoulder of northbound I-270, just under Manchester Rd and was told that the object was now on the northbound side. Apparently, by the time 220 changed direction, a PT Cruiser slammed into the median wall and the object, knocking the object to the northbound side. 220 walked down the shoulder of the highway, and pinpointed the exact location of the object to the MSHP and they removed it. It turned out, the driver of the dump truck and trailer lost his drive shaft in the middle of the highway while he was driving, which caused one vehicle accident and thirteen other vehicles to hit the object in a virtual chain reaction over a period of about 15 minutes. Nobody was hurt during the ordeal, but the investigation lasted nearly two hours.

April 25, 2004 - 11:20pm - Unit #220 assisted a motorist that ran out of fuel on southbound I-270, south of Dougherty Ferry Road. The driver had someone en route to get the driver fuel so 220 remained until the problem was solved.

April 26, 2004 - 12:15am - Unit #220 assisted a Plaza Motors technician that was changing a flat tire for another vehicle. 220 stayed with the vehicle until the tire was changed.

April 27, 2004 - 10:20pm - Unit #220 assisted a motorist with a stalled vehicle on I-270 north of Gravois Road. The driver stated he had help on the way so 220 decided to stay with the vehicle until help arrived.

April 28, 2004 - 10:15pm - Unit #220 reported a suspicious vehicle on I-270 south of Marshall Road to Kirkwood Police. The driver and occupant were loading stones from the bluffs into their pickup truck. 220 contacted Kirkwood Police to see if there was anything illegal about it. A police sergeant stated that, “according to MODOT, if MODOT catches anyone doing it, they want the persons responsible to be charged”. 220 gave the dispatcher the license plate of the vehicle, which promptly left the scene.

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