ST. LOUIS–There will be no charges filed against the driver in a fatal crash that killed two MoDOT workers and seriously injured a third last November in south St. Louis County.
A grand jury has decided not to charge the driver who was having a medical emergency at the time of the crash. The driver is a diabetic and had a sudden and severe drop in his blood glucose level. It was later determined he had an unknown medical condition related to the diabetes.
Investigators say the driver crashed into a MoDOT work zone at Telegraph and I-255, killing worker Kaitlyn Anderson and her unborn son Jaxx, James Brook, and seriously injuring Michael Brown, a third crew member.
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell’s office explained the grand jury process is secretive, but it felt compelled to offer some explanation about the decision because of the public interest regarding the incident.
Bell said in a statement that his office sought opinions from two medical experts which account for the long delay in bringing this case to the grand jury.
Witnesses called 911 before the fatal crash, speculating the driver was drunk, according to the prosecutor’s office. Medical records show no alcohol or other intoxicants in his system at the time of the crash. Officials also say his phone records reveal no use of his phone while driving.
Bell said the first medical expert his team consulted reviewed the medical evidence and was not supportive of the filing of criminal charges. He explained she drew a comparison to someone who suffers a heart attack while driving, which results in a fatal crash. That is a situation where a driver is not reasonably considered criminally negligent.
The prosecutor’s office said it then sought the opinion of a medical specialist. The independent endocrinologist reviewed the driver’s medical records and diagnosed him with hypoglycemia unawareness, a diagnosis the driver was unaware of before the crash. The specialist explained the diagnosis would explain why the driver was not aware of his dropping blood glucose level before the fatal crash.
Bell’s office looked at the driver’s records for prior incidents and found he was involved in a non-injury crash in August of 2021. The driver had a license at the time of the crash and there was no evidence a medical professional advised him not to operate a motor vehicle.
Bell noted that a grand jury needs only nine of 12 jurors to find probable cause to issue charges where a jury needs all 12 to issue a conviction.
“However, it can not be said forcefully enough that not every tragedy is a crime, and this incident is without question a horrible, heartbreaking tragedy. The extensive time we spent developing evidence in this case is ultimately best explained by our fierce fight to bring justice for the victims of this tragedy and their families. While we do not believe that the surviving victim or the families of those who lost their lives will believe justice has been served, we accept and respect the grand jury's decision,” said Bell in a statement.
Spectrum News reached out to Kaitlyn Anderson’s family. Her aunt, Tabatha Moore, said, “I pray he never drives again. I pray he never has the opportunity to hurt another person.” Moore also said the driver should have received help after his first crash and never once said “I’m sorry” to the family.
She was also critical of the work of Bell’s team. “He says they fought for our families, but when we left his office Monday, we had the impression his office wasn't really interested in fighting a hard fight,” said Moore.
Moore also voiced her concern with MoDOT, saying it failed to provide the correct safety equipment to protect the workers. In April, Anderson’s family and friends rallied outside MoDOT’s headquarters in Jefferson City, calling for answers about the crash. At the time, MoDOT told Spectrum News it was not commenting on the incident.
