1 Injured in Car Accident on Berry Rd. in St. Francois County, MO

St. Francois County, MO — July 22, 2025, One person was injured following a car accident that occurred at around 10:14 P.M. on Berry Road.

According to reports, a Buick Encore operated by a 26-year-old woman was traveling southbound on Berry Road near Shannon Road at a high rate of speed when it lost control at a curve and struck a guardrail before overcorrecting and leaving the road and overturning, ejecting the driver.

When first responders arrived on the scene they found the woman seriously injured and transported her to the hospital for treatment. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and officials have not released the identity of the driver, in what remains an ongoing investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

High-speed crashes that end in ejection raise immediate questions about how much control the driver actually had—and whether the vehicle gave them a fair chance to recover. When a single car veers, overcorrects, and overturns, the explanation can’t stop at speed alone.

1. Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
A proper investigation should determine how the initial loss of control began. Were there signs of braking, steering input, or attempts to regain the lane? Roadway markings and physical evidence like skid patterns or guardrail damage can help reconstruct whether this was a sharp swerve, a mechanical issue, or something else entirely. Without that level of analysis, key details may go unanswered.

2. Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
Modern vehicles should be stable enough to handle quick corrections, especially on a straight stretch of road. If this Buick Encore didn’t respond as expected—if the brakes locked, steering failed, or a suspension part gave out—then that could have made recovery impossible. A mechanical inspection is the only way to rule that out, and it’s a critical step when crashes involve ejections.

3. Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
Electronic data can tell us more than just speed—it can show whether the driver attempted to brake, how sharply they turned the wheel, and how the car responded. If those data points haven’t been retrieved and reviewed, we’re missing valuable insight into whether this was a case of human error or a deeper systems failure.

Single-vehicle crashes might look simple, but they’re rarely caused by just one thing. The goal isn’t to guess what went wrong—it’s to find out with certainty.

Takeaways:

• Investigators need to document the vehicle’s path and driver response to understand the crash.
• Mechanical inspection is crucial when the vehicle fails to recover from a skid or correction.
• Onboard data can clarify both the driver’s actions and how the vehicle performed under pressure.