8 Dangerous Intersections in St. Louis—and How to Avoid Accidents in Those Areas
Janae Edmondson knows all too well the dangers of St. Louis intersections. In 2023, she was downtown for a high school volleyball tournament, crossing at North 11th and St. Charles streets with her parents. An intoxicated driver plowed through the intersection, failing to yield to another vehicle and colliding with it, pinning Edmondson under his car. While her father was able to save her life, the young athlete lost her legs — and her life will never be the same.
Unfortunately, this scenario is not uncommon in our city. Data from Trailnet’s 2023 Crash Report shows that 646 people were injured or killed while walking or biking in St. Louis and St. Louis County—and pedestrians are not the only ones at risk. A quick look at St. Louis Metropolitan Police’s Daily Accident Report shows that many vehicular collisions happen at intersections, resulting in injuries that are sometimes small but often catastrophic.
To help drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists stay safe, we’ve compiled a list of intersections in the area where accidents are likely to take place. Avoiding these locations — or at least being extra cautious while near them — could make the difference between becoming injured and arriving home unharmed.
Why Do Accidents Happen at Intersections?
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, around one–quarter of traffic fatalities and half of all traffic injuries in the United States are attributed to intersections. Distracted and inattentive driving are the most prominent reasons why these accidents happen, followed by poor choices such as speeding, running a red light, or misjudging what another driver will do next. Because there are so many vehicles going in different directions at intersections, they pose dangerous situations for multiple types of accidents, including:
- Rear-end collisions. Sudden stops and distracted driving often cause drivers to hit the vehicle in front of them.
- Head-on collisions. This happens when cars coming from opposite directions each think they have the right away and collide in the intersection.
- Left-turn crashes. When drivers misjudge the speed of oncoming traffic, they end up turning directly in front of another vehicle.
- T-bone accidents. Running red lights or failing to yield causes the front of one car to run into the side of another car.
- Pedestrian accidents. Poor visibility and driving while distracted cause drivers to hit walkers and cyclists crossing the street.
8 Most Dangerous Intersections in St. Louis
The following intersections are frequently seen in police accident reports, and are also complained about often by area residents on Reddit.
Broadway and Washington
This busy downtown intersection is often full of tourists heading to America’s Center as well as employees of local businesses. Its close proximity to Highway 44 puts pedestrians at risk of being hit.
Grand Boulevard and Lindell Boulevard
In 2024, this intersection had 80 reported accidents, including 19 injuries. Drivers paying too much attention to SLU students strolling across campus can easily rear-end other vehicles.
Kingshighway and Lindell
Recent data reports that many intersections along Kingshighway are dangerous, with more than 500 crashes in a two-week timeframe between Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Delmar. The Lindell intersection is especially dangerous because tourists and residents are turning into Forest Park while pedestrians cross Lindell to get to lunch spots in the Central West End, or to the hospital. The flurry of activity combined with complicated turn lanes make it a volatile location for accidents.
Grand and Forest Park Avenue
Since 2021, the Grand Corridor has seen an uptick in pedestrians being hit by vehicles, with a total of 28 in 2023. As vehicles come off of the Highway 40 exit ramp, stoplights are confusing as one leads across to Forest Park, and the other turns onto Grand. With so many St. Louis University students walking to classes along with cars turning into the nearby Starbucks, it’s a bad area overall for drivers and pedestrians.
Gravois and Chippewa
This intersection experiences high accident rates due to its diagonal road layout, which can confuse drivers unfamiliar with the area. If anyone is speeding, not paying attention, or runs a red light, a crash is extremely likely.
Gravois and Jefferson
This is one of the worst intersections according to Reddit users because drivers can’t turn left at all, forcing them to use side streets and cross dangerous traffic to do so. Even worse is that signage is scarce, so drivers make a left anyway, often turning into pedestrians who have a walk signal.
McCausland Ave. & Oakland Ave. & Clayton Ave.
All of these roads converge near the big Amoco sign, which can be seen from Highway 40. Whether crossing McCausland to get on the highway, or to continue onto Oakland or Clayton, it’s easy to get confused and collide with an oncoming or turning vehicle.
Tower Grove and South Vandeventer
This intersection requires wide turns as it is, so it doesn’t help that there are school buses often coming out of Central Industrial Drive. There’s also a bike lane along Tower Grove, which can be treacherous for cyclists.
How to Avoid Accidents at St. Louis Intersections
In the summer of 2024, the city of St. Louis began a lengthy project to begin improving some of the area’s worst intersections, with construction to be completed in the fall of 2026. Pavement resurfacing, traffic signal re-timing, lane reconfigurations, restriping, and additional shared bicycle paths are all part of the plan. Hopefully, those changes will help reduce the number of accidents soon.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that driver errors are the main reasons behind most collisions. Accidents happen, but you don’t want to be found liable for a crash. Your best bet for avoiding traffic accidents in St. Louis is to stay focused as a driver at all times, and follow these tips:
- Don’t be in a rush. Give yourself plenty of time to get to where you’re going so you don’t get frustrated and make rash decisions behind the wheel.
- Avoid distractions. Don’t text, adjust the radio, or even make a hands-free call so you can pay full attention to the road, other drivers, and pedestrians.
- Allow adequate space. Following too closely can easily lead to a rear-end collision. Leave at least a full car length between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
- Obey traffic signals. Don’t attempt to beat a red light, turn right on red, or roll through a stop sign.
- Check blind spots frequently. When driving in a city setting, cyclists, pedestrians, motorcycles, and other vehicles can come out of nowhere. Always double-check before making a turn.
- Yield. Always give pedestrians the right of way, and other vehicles as required.
If You or a Loved One Was Injured in a St. Louis Accident, We Can Help
Each year, hundreds of people are injured or killed in St. Louis intersection accidents. If you were a victim or lost a family member in a tragic accident, you deserve compensation to cover the costs of medical bills, lost wages, funeral expenses, and more. Negligence is very often the cause of car accidents, and a personal injury attorney knows how to examine these cases to determine who is liable.
Our attorneys handle accidents in both Missouri and Illinois, and we can provide you with the representation you need to achieve maximum recovery. We don’t charge a fee unless you win, so contact us now by calling 314-293-4803 or by filling out our online request for a case review.
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