Franklin County, MO — August 10, 2024, Bailey Snider, Chelsea Smith, and a child were killed due to a semi-truck accident at 9:31 p.m. on Interstate 44.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol released initial details about the crash, saying it happened along westbound lanes of I-44 near mile marker 228.4.
According to troopers, 25-year-old Bailey Snider was in a Toyota Avalon and 27-year-old Brian K. Brown was in a Freightliner stopped for traffic. 32-year-old Chelsea Smith was in a Nissan Sentra approaching the traffic, as was another 18-wheeler. That 18-wheeler reportedly crashed into the stopped vehicles, causing a chain reaction with Bailey Snider, Chelsea Smith, Brian Brown, and at least one other vehicle.
As a result of the accident, Snider, Smith, and a child in Smith’s vehicle were killed. Brown reportedly had minor injuries. There were no other reported injuries. Right now, the exact cause of the accident remains unconfirmed.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Frankly, there are not many situations where this happens without a truck driver making a serious mistake. What’s important to keep in mind though is there’s often more to these accidents than just a single individual making a mistake. That’s possible, but the actions of a truck driver’s employer often play a big role in these devastating truck accidents.
For example, a thorough truck accident investigation should be able to answer questions that typically can’t be answered at the crash scene itself. Was the driver pressured to meet tight deadlines that encouraged speeding or distracted driving? Was the driver working long hours due to a demanding schedule? Did the company adequately train the driver, or was this someone with a history of reckless behavior who never should have been behind the wheel? Were the truck’s brakes or tires worn due to neglected maintenance?
These are all factors I’ve seen lead to serious accidents, and it wasn’t often they came to light during the police investigations. It almost always took more thorough independent investigations to dig into these important details and bring them to light. That’s why it can be risky to just assume authorities have accidents like this under control just because it may seem obvious who’s to blame. Ensuring there is accountability for what happened means ensuring all responsible parties answer for their actions.
call us 
Email Us 
Text us