46 Accidents - Some Fatal - Reported on Valentine's Day in Missouri

If you drove the streets of Missouri on Valentine's Day this year, you know how bad the roads were. If you did not, you were smart to just stay home for Valentine's Day this year. Some of those who attempted to go out regardless of the weather, suffered the consequences of bad driving conditions. The snow fell most of the day, turning to slush and then freezing into ice on the well traveled streets. The main roads were addressed by busy plows that scraped ice and threw salt throughout the day, but it didn't prevent many of the accidents that were inevitable. Even cautious drivers were reducing their speed to 25 miles per hour in some areas. It wasn't a night to be out and about, especially at 2:25 am when Sean P. Duffey of Blair, NE played Russian Roulette with the snow covered roads of Camden County in the south central part of Missouri.

According to Missouri Highway Patrol Crash Reports, Sean P. Duffey, who was driving a 1999 GMC, failed to negotiate a curve on Route Y just half a mile west of US 54, and he ran off the right side of the roadway. His vehicle struck a ditch and a tree and somehow the accelerator became stuck to the floor of the vehicle. The vehicle then returned to the roadway traveling westbound and ran off the left side of the roadway and struck another tree. Duffey was pronounced dead at 3:00 am.

More than 26 accidents occurred on February 14, 2010 in various counties from St. Louis to Jefferson County with fatalities in Camden and St. Charles. A total of 36 injuries were reported out of a total of 46 reports. Duffey's accident marked the first of the incidents with his accident occurring in the early morning hours and the last report coming in at 10:40 p.m.

Daniel Windler was the other fatality of the day. In St. Charles County, Casey N. Daniels, 17, was driving south on state Route DD in St. Charles County, which was very slick by 8 p.m. Daniels, a fairly new driver, was driving on this St. Peters road about a half mile north of highway 94.

As she headed on a downgrade she noticed other vehicles were sliding on the icy road and she attempted to slow down. Then she noticed Daniel E. Windler, 61, of Definace, Missouri, a pedestrian on the road. She steered to the left but failed to avoid him with her Chevy Trailblazer. Her vehicle struck the pedestrian.

Casey Daniels was wearing her seatbelt and did not sustain any injuries. Her vehicle, however, had to be towed from the scene by Crash City Towing of Darden Prairie. Daniel Windler died at the scene at 8:35 pm.