Slain Soulard Hit-and-Run Victim Remains Unidentified

A woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash in the early hours of Sunday morning in Soulard, police say — but they have yet to identify the victim.

A preliminary investigation by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police indicates that the unknown woman was in the eastbound lanes of Gravois Avenue at Russell Boulevard when she was struck by an unknown vehicle. "The driver of that vehicle continued eastbound on Gravois and left the scene," the police summary states. "Pedestrian Jane Doe was transported to an area hospital where she was later pronounced deceased."

The crash took place around 1:37 a.m. on Sunday, March 17. However, because the woman was not carrying identification, police have been unable to determine her age, much less her name.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that the victim is an adult. If someone believes she might be their loved one, police ask them to contact Officer Moran, the accident reconstruction investigator for the incident. He can be reached at 314-444-5345.

The woman's death is just the latest in a series of pedestrian fatalities that has led to outrage and calls for action. Last week, a five-year-old boy was killed in Bevo Mill, although the driver who hit him is cooperating with authorities. Previous hit-and-run crashes near Ted Drewes in south city and, more recently, in the city's Grove neighborhood, have led to calls for the city to take action against bad drivers. The terrible double fatality crash outside a Drake concert last month, while not a hit-and-run, only heightened the attention to the issue.

However, the mayor's favored solution — red light cameras — has gotten tangled up in the Board of Aldermen's desire to pass a police surveillance transparency bill first. Alderwoman Cara Spencer has called for police to be given the right to boot the cars of reckless drivers, while an RFT op-ed last week called for Missouri to mandate driver's ed (it's one of just 13 states that doesn't).

"One thing is clear: something has to change," wrote Liz Chiarello, a Saint Louis University professor who lives in south city. "St. Louis pedestrians can no longer bear the sense of impending doom that haunts them when they step out of the house, even in so-called 'walkable' neighborhoods."




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