Car crashes, lands in backyard of Kirkwood Townhomes

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A driver was rescued Thursday evening after a vehicle launched off Interstate 44 and landed in a wooded backyard in Kirkwood.

According to witnesses, the white vehicle came off I-44 and landed in a backyard before sliding into the woods behind the Stonecrest Townhomes.

The driver was trapped inside the vehicle after the crash, prompting nearby residents to run out and talk with the driver until first responders arrived.

"This was a very horrific event," said Teresa Fuller, a nearby resident. "I was in my house, and we heard this crash. That’s not something normal you hear, and I come outside and everybody is out—even my children were concerned for the person trapped in the car."

Officials used a chainsaw to cut through trees to reach the vehicle and the driver. The driver was then freed, placed on a stretcher, and taken to safety.

Fuller expressed pride in how quickly her neighbors and first responders came together, but she also voiced concerns about future accidents along the busy interstate.

"What's going through my mind is we may need barriers," Fuller said. "Cars are coming around Highway 44 fast and now it’s coming to the winter season and it might be slippery. So, it might be nice to have some protection for the residents."

The driver's condition has not yet been released, and investigators are still looking into what caused the crash.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.