Emergency personnel responded shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday to assist with two separate vehicle crashes on I-255 at the Jefferson Barracks Bridge.

One of the crashes was on I-255 westbound on the Illinois side of the bridge and was a rollover with possible entrapment. The other crash was on I-255 eastbound in Missouri.

The entire JB Bridge was shut down temporarily as emergency personnel tended to both crashes before reopening both directions of I-255 shortly after 6:30 p.m.

The Columbia Fire Department and Columbia EMS were initially requested for mutual aid from the Mehlville (Mo.) Fire Department. The Dupo Fire Department was also requested to the bridge, which currently carries both directions of travel on the eastbound span due to construction on the westbound span.

The St. Louis County Police Department, Illinois State Police, Columbia Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff’s Department all responded to the scene, but traffic being at a standstill made reaching the crashed vehicles troublesome.

Preliminary information released Saturday night by ISP confirms there were two separate injury crashes – one on the Missouri side and another on the Illinois side of the bridge.

ISP said the westbound crash involved four vehicles. A 2012 Ford Focus driven by Conrad J. McDaniel, 35, of St. Louis, was unable to stop in time for slowed traffic in the right lane, rear-ending a 2021 Hyundai Palisade driven by Megan B. Zedak, 37, of O’Fallon. The Hyundai in turn rear-ended a 2024 GMC Terrain driven by Mary J. Wojcik, 59, of Millstadt, which in turn rear-ended a 2013 Chrysler Town & Country driven by Adam P. Deffenbaugh, 40, of Columbia.

The Hyundai overturned following the initial collision. Zedak and three passengers in her vehicle – two of them juveniles – were transported by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries.

I-255 westbound traffic was also backed up earlier Saturday afternoon due to a stalled vehicle near the bridge.