ST. LOUIS — A man was shaken up after a large concrete boulder hit the hood of his truck on Interstate 64 in St. Louis on Friday.
Bob Paulson told 5 On Your Side he was on his way into St. Louis for work headed eastbound on Interstate 64 at 4:50 a.m. Friday, when a chunk of debris fell from above and slammed into his Suzuki pickup.
"All day long I've just been thinking about my wife and kids and what this could have turned into. If I had been going just a little bit quicker or if decided a second or two later, you never know. I could be in an emergency room right now or something worse” he said.
The grey object left a large dent and scratch on the hood by the driver’s side.
Paulson called St. Louis police who responded and took a report.
“The officer went out and said that there were concrete chunks on the ground and that it appeared that the bridge was crumbling,” he added.
Meanwhile, after 5 On Your Side reached out, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) sent a crew to inspect the bridge.
A spokesperson stated they found no evidence of any material from the bridge structure but that "the safety of motorists on state highways and bridges is among MoDOT's highest priorities."
“Got on MoDOT's website this morning there's an article on there with the governor him passing legislation but I can't say there's a lot happening around here,” Paulson said.
In 2022, $226 million of MoDOT's operating budget went to roadways for repairs, sealing, and striping.
Thousands travel using Interstate 64 every day going in and out of St. Louis.
“I'm hoping MoDOT finds it you know a bit more urgent to get out there and focus on some of these major roadways and double-check these bridges. Especially coming into the spring here. I work in grounds, so I know freezing thaw and potholes. It's all the things that's coming,” Paulson said.
The man reported the incident to the police and his insurance company.
MoDOT said people can report any road safety issues 24 hours a day at modot.org or 1-888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636).
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