| March 2, 2004 - 9:15pm - Unit #220 attempted to assist a truck driver on Bowles Avenue behind the Bandana’s Restaurant in Fenton, MO. The truck driver had attempted to turn around in the restaurant parking lot but the load in the tractor-trailer shifted so much that the passenger-side corner of the trailer was resting on the rear tires, rendering the truck useless. It also lifted the driver’s side tires two inches off the ground. Unit #02 had just gotten out of his evening classes in nearby Kirkwood, MO and called 220 on his Nextel. 220 asked 02 to come to his location. Looking the situation over, they both decided that the trucker needed a piece of wood to help get the weight off the tires. As 220 went from business to business looking for a piece of wood that was sizeable to get the job done, 02 had spotted the MODOT Motorist Assist vehicle at the gas station across the street and asked them to check out the situation. MODOT looked the problem over and said they’d be back with some wood, if they found any. 220 returned to the truck empty-handed. The truck driver called a local business to see if they had any wood in their dumpster. The owner gave the “ok” to search the dumpster. 220 and the truck driver drove down to get a piece of wood from the dumpster and returned to the location. They worked on the problem for about 15 minutes. MODOT returned with a block of wood that could hold the weight of the cargo. Unfortunately, that didn’t work so they went to another option, which meant calling a tow truck. The MODOT team called their dispatcher to get a tow truck. 220 called unit #71 because he works for a towing company. 71 offered to have his dispatcher inquire about a heavy tow truck and would get back to him. 71 called back in a few minutes to say he had no luck, but would come to the scene in his tow truck to see what he could do. MODOT finally got ahold of someone in St. Charles County that would remove the vehicle. 02 had to leave, leaving 220 and 71 with MODOT and the truck driver. Eventually, the tow truck did arrive and carefully removed the truck-trailer the several feet off the embankment and onto solid ground. March 4, 2004 - 9:35pm - As unit #220 was sitting in his vehicle on the on-ramp from I-44 westbound onto Antire Road, a vehicle pulled up behind him and stopped. 220 didn’t think much of it, but kept an eye out on rearview mirror. The driver messed around with the engine for a few minutes, then gave up. He walked up to 220 and asked if he had a phone. 220 let the man borrow his and waited while the man made his call. 220 left the scene after the man made his call and secured a ride home from the location. March 4, 2004 - 10:00pm - Unit #220 responded to a call for a vehicle accident on I-270 north of I-44. When he arrived on the scene, Sunset Hills Police already had the scene covered. 220 decided to park his vehicle (lights on) on the shoulder of the on-ramp from I-44 eastbound onto northbound I-270 and radio the accident location over CB CHANNEL 19 to warn approaching truck drivers. The accident occurred because the driver was driving too fast for road conditions and slammed into the median wall. 220 left the scene once the accident was cleared. March 4, 2004 - 11:05pm - Unit #220 heard a call for a vehicle accident on Manchester Rd onto the I-270 on-ramp. The female driver was intoxicated and drove down an embankment, but she was not hurt. A tow truck came out a few minutes later and 220 assisted by waving traffic away from the area. The officer thanked 220 for his help. March 7, 2004 - 11:15pm - Unit #220 wrote down the license plate of a vehicle that had crossed into flood waters covering the roadway along Meramac Bottom Road between Wells and Tesson Ferry Road. Since there were no visible signs warning of the flooded road, 220 contacted St. Louis County Police to see about what to do. An officer arrived about 40 minutes later, stated “there was nothing he could do”, and left. Later 220 found a sign, but it was miles away on Meramec Bottom Rd near I-55. March 8, 2004 - 12:20am - Unit #220 assisted a motorist with a flat tire on I-270 south of I-44. #220 changed the tire and left the scene. March 9, 2004 - 12:35am - Unit #220 assisted with a vehicle accident on Highway 30 at Highway 141 in Fenton, MO. This was a non-injury accident in the passing lane of Highway 30, on the overpass. When 220 arrived, the Fenton police officers were already on the scene. 220 decided to stay about 400 yards back and wave traffic away from the inside lane. When the tow truck arrived to remove the vehicle, 220 left the scene along with the Fenton Police. March 10, 2004 - 10:45pm - Unit #220 assisted a stranded motorist on I-270 at the Dorsett Road overpass in Maryland Heights. The driver had just returned from Jackson, Missouri when his overheated van broke down. 220 let the man use his two remaining antifreeze cans to fill his radiator, but that wasn’t enough. So, 220 told the handicapped man that he would run to the nearest gas station for water and return shortly. At about 11:15pm, 220 arrived with some bottles of water and filled up the radiator and apologized for being late. The motorist didn’t seem too concerned, but he was thankful that 220 had stopped to help in the first place. The man thanked 220 for helping out and went on his way. March 10, 2004 - 10:55pm - While heading to the closest gas station in the above report, 220 noticed a vehicle in a driving lane of I-70 east of I-270 with its hazard lights on and driving at 40 mph. The car then pulled off to the shoulder. 220 stopped behind it and the female driver informed 220 that her car was overheating and she was trying to get herself and her daughter home to St. Louis City. 220 asked the driver if he could look over the vehicle and see what was wrong. 220 reported to the driver that the vehicle’s antifreeze level in the reservoir was too high, and it looked like the thermostat to the radiator was stuck. 220 offered his cell phone to the driver and waited while the female driver completed her calls. 220 checked on her after a few minutes passed and the driver stated that if she could get the car off the highway, her mechanic would get to it in the morning. The only problem was she would need a ride to the nearest MetroLink (commuter train) station. 220 stated he would take the driver and her occupant to their home in St. Louis City, if they would wait until he returned to his previous situation and get him some water. Both driver and occupant agreed, so 220 (with warning lights on) followed behind the womans’ car as it got off the highway and into a business parking lot. He stated to the driver that he would return ASAP. At about 11:30pm, 220 returned and drive the women down to their apartment in the city. 220 had the women at their apartment by 12:00am, and they thanked him for all his help. March 11, 2004 - 9:33pm - Unit #220 offered to change a flat tire for a female stranded motorist on southbound I-270, just south of Page Avenue. The woman was on her way home to Desoto, MO when she got the flat tire. 220 changed the tire for the woman, and then went on his way. The woman thanked 220 for his help. March 11, 2004 - 10:23pm - Unit #220 came across a suspicious vehicle on northbound I-270, just north of Olive in Creve Coeur, MO. When 220 asked if the motorist needed any help, the driver stated he was there “to meet someone”. 220 contacted the police department and reported the vehicle. March 12, 2004 - 10:00pm - Unit #220 assisted with a two-vehicle non-injury accident on Northwest Boulevard near Saline Road. A deputy sheriff had 220 help direct traffic as it approached the scene. The accident victim, an older woman, suffered a diabetic reaction and blacked out as she approached another vehicle that was pulling out of a private business driveway. Once the accident scene was just about wrapped up, one of the deputies thanked 220 for coming to help. 220 left the scene once the tow truck left with the vehicle. March 12, 2004 - 11:21pm - Unit #220 assisted with a vehicle accident on southbound I-270 near Big Bend in Kirkwood. The Missouri State Highway Patrol, Des Peres Police & Fire, and the Kirkwood Police Department were already at the scene when he arrived so 220 decided to report the accident over CB CHANNEL 19 to warn approaching truck drivers of the lane closures ahead. 220 also helped the Kirkwood Police distribute road flares and set them up in the lanes that were to be blocked. A young girl was driving and flipped her car off the highway and onto the shoulder, destroying her car. The Kirkwood Police officer thanked 220 for his assistance at the scene. March 14, 2004 - 10:00pm - Unit #220 assisted a stranded motorist with a flat tire on southbound I-270 near I-64. The driver and his girlfriend were on their way home to Rolla when the flat tire occurred. 220 helped changed the tire, and then followed the driver to a gas station so more air could be put into the tire because it was low. March
14, 2004 - 10:50pm - Unit #220 checked on a Freightliner (tractor-trailer)
on I-55 near the Highway 141 exit in Arnold, MO. The driver had
a tow service out working on the vehicle when 220 arrived. Once
the big rig was hooked up and ready to go, 220 followed the tow
truck all the way down to the truck scales in Herculaneum for drop
off. The tow truck driver thanked 220 for his help and continued
down the road with the truck driver to Jackson, MO to pick up a
new trailer. March 17, 2004 - 10:00pm - Unit #220 assisted a motorist southbound on I-55 near Highway 141. The driver had a tow truck on the way, so 220 stuck around until it arrived.
March 18, 2004 - 10:28pm - Unit #220 attempted to assist a stranded motorist on southbound I-55 near the Reavis Barracks exit ramp. The motorist had a flat tire on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The driver thought 220 was the roadside assistance person he had called on his cell phone. 220 was not aware of this and offered to help the man. Then, the roadside assistance man showed up. 220 relinquished the tire changing duty to the man, but offered to stick around because the man was not wearing any reflective clothing nor did he have any lighting to illuminate the area. A St. Louis County Police Officer arrived and chatted with 220. 220 showed the police officer his REACT card and identification.. The roadside assistance man changed the tire and then everyone left. The driver thanked 220 for stopping and helping out even though he was not called. March 19, 2004 - 10:20pm - Unit #220 assisted with a vehicle accident on westbound I-270 at Old Halls Ferry Road. 220 pulled onto the shoulder near the scene and warned approaching traffic of the accident ahead on CB CHANNEL 19. When traffic began to slow down and back-up, 220 drove closer to the accident scene by following a St. Louis County Police van down the shoulder. 220 made it to the scene and helped St. Louis County Police direct traffic off the highway and onto the North Outer Rd that runs along the Interstate. 220 ended up being at the scene for almost two hours. There was one fatality at the scene. The driver's vehicle slammed into a guardrail at a high rate of speed and went down an embankment, causing it to overturn. The vehicle was demolished, resembling a crushed soda can.
March 19, 2004 - 11:10pm - Unit #220 attempted to assist a stranded motorist (and girlfriend) on I-55 near Highway 141 in Arnold, MO. The driver thought he had a dead battery so 220 attempted to jump it with his battery pack. That didn’t work, so 220 remained behind the vehicle until the tow truck arrived to tow it away. The driver thanked 220 for sticking around. March 20, 2004 - 11:30pm - Unit #220 assisted the MIssouri State Highway Patrol with a one vehicle accident with injuries on eastbound I-270, east of I-170. A strong crosswind pushed the vehicle into the median and the driver recovered. The vehicle came to a stop in the right two lanes of the Interstate. The driver was taken to Christian Northeast Hospital by ambulance with injuries that resulted from the driver's side airbag being deployed. 220 assisted with traffic control by putting road flares in the right two lanes. 220 spoke to the victim's father, informing him that his child was en route to the hospital and also informed the MSHP officer that the victim's father had just arrived on the scene.
March 21, 2004 - 12:35am - Unit #220 assisted a stranded family with a flat tire on southbound I-170 at the Frost Avenue exit in Berkeley, MO. The vehicle had a flat tire and the motorist was having trouble putting on the spare tire because the jack they had was broken. 220 offered his jack and tire iron to the motorist and together they changed the tire. The female motorist thanked 220 for his help. March 23, 2004 - 11:45pm - Unit #220 assisted a stranded motorist with a radiator leak in her vehicle, on I-270 north of I-44. 220 stayed with the female motorist until a tow truck arrived and then left the scene. The motorist thanked 220 for sticking around. March 24, 2004 - 12:00pm - Unit #220 assisted Town & Country Police with a two-vehicle accident on the Mason Road over pass over I-270. 220 blocked the left lane and left the scene after the vehicle was removed. The accident occurred due to negligence on both parties. Both cars entered the intersection on a yellow light. The first vehicle stopped in the left lane and the second vehicle (not realizing the distance) drove into the rear of the first one. The incident was cleared within 15-20 minutes, and neither driver was injured.
March 27, 2004 - 11:15pm - Unit #220 helped change a flat tire for a female motorist and her friends on Tesson Ferry Road at Juengel Road. The female was unaware that her spare tire was in the back seat until 220 pointed it out to her. 220 changed the tire for the female without hesitation. By the time the tire was changed, the woman's parents showed up and they both thanked 220 for his help. March 28, 2004 - 4:30pm - Unit #220 and #02 were coming home after spending the day with Mark Twain REACT, when they found themselves in the middle of an earlier traffic accident on I-44, just east of the Cuba, Missouri exit ramp. 220 had heard about the accident over his scanner, but figured that things would be cleared up by now. Unfortunately, the MSHP had nobody available to help at the scene so the Cuba Fire Department was dispatched to slow traffic down in the eastbound lanes. 220 and 02 got to the scene and assisted in the cleanup and the slowing down of traffic. From what 220 gathered from the fire department, a tractor-trailer was involved along with several cars. Two ambulances rushed to Rolla with the injured.
March 31, 2004 - 10:05pm - Unit #220 assisted St. John's Hospital Security and the Creve Coeur Police Department with a one-vehicle accident on Conway Road in front of St. John's Mercy Medical Center. The driver had just pulled out of an adjacent parking lot when he reached for a pack of gum that was out of arms reach. When the driver looked up, his vehicle slammed into a telephone pole causing an electric line to fall. This prompted a call to the Creve Coeur Fire Department and Union Electric, who determined that the line was not live and that the driver was not in immediate danger. 220 assisted by forcing eastbound Conway traffic to enter the parking lot of St. John's Hospital and then re-enter Ballas Road. St. John's Hospital Security thanked 220 for his help and traffic eventually was re-opened in both directions.
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