HILLSBORO, Mo. — Chris Pope grew up in Hillsboro, so he knows Highway 21 as “blood alley."
“It's been called blood alley since I was a kid,” Pope said. “There's wrecks up and down this road all the time.”
The most recent accident happened next door to Pope's home Thursday afternoon.
A car going south on Highway 21 near Eckardt Lane crossed the center line and hit an Ameren Utility truck.
The man in the car died. The utility truck veered and crashed into an apartment building. The man inside the corner unit was home, but was upstairs.
“Had he been in the living room, the outcome would have been much different,” said Fire Marshal Brian Gaudet, with the Hillsboro Fire Protection District.
The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. There were reports that the driver of the car was driving recklessly before he crashed.
Still, some neighbors worry the road itself is dangerous.
“Things need to be changed around here,” Pope said.
In 2015, MODOT conducted a speed study along 21, but found the posted speed limit of 55 mph is not an issue.
“I expect, as more facts come out, and are shared by law enforcement with our agency, we'll do our best if there's any engineering work that can be done to mitigate future crashes,” Tom Blair, MODOT St. Louis District Engineer said.
Pope said the accident makes him want to move. It was simply too close to home.
“We'll be looking to move soon. Get off this road,” Pope said.
A structural engineer is scheduled to inspect the apartment building on Tuesday.