For the reporting period of Monday, June 1st – Sunday, June 7th, your CPD officers responded to 520 calls for service. Those calls included 20 vehicle crashes and 62 requests to assist other agencies. Among those calls were the following incidents:
Officers responded to the area of Forest Park Parkway and I-170 for a vehicle crash on Monday morning. A bus driver explained that he misjudged his turn while attempting to take the ramp from the westbound lanes of the parkway onto northbound I-170. As he turned, the rear passenger side wheel of his vehicle struck the front bumper of a passenger vehicle. Thankfully, no one was injured in the crash. The passenger vehicle was later towed from the scene.
Later that morning, a woman claimed she had been the victim of a vehicle leaving the scene of a crash. She stated she had been driving in the central business district when another vehicle struck her car, causing it to spin out of control before striking a parking meter on the sidewalk. However, after reviewing footage from nearby surveillance cameras, Officers could not verify her account of the crash. Her vehicle sustained heavy damage and was towed from the scene. The investigation continues.
A resident contacted the CPD on Tuesday morning to report property damage. He explained that he owns a construction company and had left his vehicle parked at a job site on the east end of town over the weekend. When he returned to the site Tuesday morning, he discovered someone had shattered the windshield, flattened one of the tires, and spray-painted the headlights and passenger side of the truck. He stated he believes the damage is related to an ongoing dispute over payment with a subcontractor. The investigation is ongoing.
That afternoon, a man reported he had been driving westbound on Maryland Ave. at Bemiston Ave. when his vehicle was struck by another car. The driver of the second vehicle did not stop or attempt to exchange insurance information. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. An investigation continues.
Later, Officers responded to the interstate for a crash involving three vehicles. A man explained he had been merging onto the southbound lanes of the interstate from Forest Park Parkway when his vehicle was suddenly struck and pushed into the rear of another vehicle. The driver of the striking vehicle was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The other drivers and their passengers reported they had not been injured in the crash and refused medical attention while on the scene. Two of the vehicles were badly damaged and later towed from the roadway.
A man explained he had been attempting to turn onto Shaw Park Dr. from the northbound lanes of S. Hanley Rd. on Tuesday evening and had misjudged the speed and distance of the oncoming southbound traffic. As he turned, he was struck by a vehicle heading southbound. The striking vehicle then hit a third vehicle. The driver of the striking vehicle sustained minor injuries and was treated on the scene by Clayton EMS personnel. The driver of the third vehicle complained of non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. All three vehicles were badly damaged and had to be towed from the scene.
A short time later, a woman reported she had been walking toward Chapman Plaza when a man had suddenly approached her in a threatening manner and began mumbling and yelling at her. Officers found the man yelling obscenities nearby. When they informed him he was being detained, the man resisted and attempted to punch an Officer. They arrested the man for Harassment 1st degree, and the case will be forwarded to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration.
Officers returned to the interstate for a single-vehicle crash on Tuesday evening. The driver explained she believed she had suffered a medical emergency while she was attempting to exit the highway. Her passenger stated that the vehicle had begun to drift and, upon realizing something was amiss, she had grabbed the wheel and attempted to prevent a collision. However, the vehicle had spun out of control and struck a guardrail. Both the driver and passenger were evaluated on the scene by EMS personnel, but they refused further medical treatment. The vehicle was towed from the scene.
CVS employees contacted the CPD late on Wednesday night to report that two men had stolen items from the store. They explained the men had stolen laundry detergent and air fresheners and were last seen leaving the area in a silver two-door sedan with a broken front passenger window. The investigation continues.
When contractors arrived at work on Thursday morning, they discovered that someone had stolen tools and supplies from their construction site overnight. Upon closer investigation, they determined the thief had entered the building through an unsecured door. While inside, they had also damaged and attempted to force open an equipment crate. Some of the stolen items were recovered after they were found abandoned on the ground outside the construction site. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.
Later that morning, a CPD Officer stopped a vehicle driving 26 mph over the posted speed limit on Forest Park Parkway. As the Officer spoke with the driver, he learned the woman was wanted by our department in connection with a previous incident in which she had been stopped for exceeding the speed limit. She has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court.
A woman responded to the CPD on Thursday afternoon to file a delayed report of a vehicle crash. She explained she had been turning onto S. Brentwood from Shaw Park Drive on Wednesday afternoon when a second vehicle merged into her lane and struck the passenger side of her car. She explained that the other driver had not stopped, but she had captured the vehicle description and license plate information. Using that information, Officers identified and located the second driver. She advised that she was not involved in a crash, and Officers noted that her vehicle showed no signs of damage. The investigation continues.
On Friday afternoon, Officers responded to the central business district regarding a report of a crash involving an electric bicycle. Both the driver and the cyclists claimed the other person had left the scene of the crash and disagreed about the details of their immediate interaction. However, they both agreed that the cyclist had been struck as a vehicle exited a parking garage. The crash resulted in minor damage to the bicycle. Neither the cyclist nor the driver was injured.
Later that afternoon, the staff at Straub’s reported an infant had been left unattended in a vehicle in the store’s parking lot. The manager stated that customers had alerted him to the child, and he had verified their reports that an infant was locked inside a vehicle with the engine off. He explained that as he was calling for assistance, an elderly man had returned to the car and driven away. Officers searched the area but could not locate the vehicle. It’s important to remember that the temperature inside a vehicle can quickly rise to dangerous levels when the engine is off. If you see a child or an animal alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 911. Your actions could prevent a tragedy.
CVS employees contacted the CPD late on Saturday night to report that a man had just stolen merchandise from the store. The manager explained that the man had been in the store earlier that night to complete a DoorDash order, and nothing had seemed amiss. However, when he returned, he had pulled his bicycle into the store and plugged it in to charge. He then walked around the store and placed various items into a backpack-style cooler. Instead of purchasing the merchandise, he exited the store, leaving his bicycle behind. When the Officers arrived on the scene, they found the man standing outside. He claimed he had returned to the store to complete another DoorDash transaction and had stepped outside to smoke while his bicycle charged. However, he could not provide any evidence to support his claims or explain why he had not paid for the items in his cooler. The merchandise was seized, and the man was issued a summons for shoplifting. He has an upcoming court date through the Clayton Municipal Court.
A resident contacted the CPD on Sunday morning to report that his daughter’s bicycle and helmet had been stolen from the shared basement of his apartment building. He explained he had last seen the items in the basement in December. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. The investigation continues.
Finally, Officers are investigating a possible road rage incident. A resident reported he was driving southbound on Big Bend Blvd. Sunday afternoon, when the driver of a silver passenger vehicle pointed a handgun at him and his passenger. Thankfully, they were able to evade the silver car safely, and no one was injured. Our investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about these or other investigations is asked to contact the CPD at (314) 645-3000. Until next week, stay safe!
