Woman who died in crash at Kirkwood intersection was assistant principal at South City charter school
KIRKWOOD, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A weekend car crash has sparked calls for improved safety at a Kirkwood intersection.
A crash occurred at Big Bend and Geyer around 8:50 p.m. Saturday evening. A spokesperson for the Kirkwood Police Department said a 45-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She was identified Tuesday as Sarah Howell. She was an assistant middle school principal at Confluence Academy’s South City campus. The school posted the following on Facebook Tuesday afternoon:
“It is with a heavy heart, and our deepest sympathies that we announce the untimely ing of our Middle School Assistant Principal, and dear friend, Sarah Howell. Ms Howell became a part of our South City family in 2009 when she started as a PE teacher. In 2018, she became our Middle School Assistant Principal. She was loved by everyone, and she leaves a legacy behind that will last a lifetime! Rest in peace our dear friend. 06/27/1978-05/04/2024.”
A vehicle was going westbound on Big Bend and hit Howell’s vehicle that was going southbound through the intersection, the spokesperson said. The circumstances around the crash are still being investigated.
Safe street advocates assert that the road has been an issue for some time.
“Current state right now is a disaster,” said Carmody.
Michael Carmody, with Safer Streets for Kirkwood and St. Louis County, considers the intersection at Big Bend Road and South Geyer Road one of the top five most dangerous in the county.
He wants the county to address it fast.
“There’s a moral obligation that they must,” said Carmody.
Saturday evening, First Alert 4 crews captured video footage of a crash at the intersection. There is no official word on what happened from Kirkwood Police, but vehicle parts were scattered across the street.
Neighbors have consistently told First Alert 4 they hope the county addresses the intersection.
“I really don’t know what it is that could be done, but I certainly would like to see something done,” said Carmody.
County officials say changes are coming, and ground will break next year on a $2.1 million project. This includes repaving the road, a median to restrict left turns, a bump out on Geyer, and making a pedestrian island larger.
There are several things Carmody wants to do that he thinks would save lives. That includes reducing the number of lanes, taking the lane size from 13 feet down to 10 feet, and elevating the crosswalk.
But none of those items are in the county plans.
According to project documents found on the county’s website, officials believe the intersection is too busy for an elevated crosswalk. And county tests for reducing the lane size didn’t calm traffic.
“They’re going to spend almost $2 million on this road and not put in one traffic calming measure, not put in one new crosswalk,” said Carmody.
The entire county project on Big Bend goes from Kirkwood Road to Couch Avenue, spanning one mile.
Data from the Missouri Department of Transportation, which Carmody said he received via a Sunshine request that he shared with First Alert 4, shows 373 crashes occurred in the project area from 2012-2016.
St. Louis County data showed 205 crashes in the same time period.
County officials said the project would have happened sooner, but COVID-19 pushed construction back and raised the cost by $300,000.
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