ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A wrong-way crash on northbound I-170 near I-70 in Missouri left four people dead on Monday, highlighting the ongoing dangers on the state’s roads despite new safety laws.

The crash occurred just after 1 p.m. when a Chevrolet Equinox traveling in the wrong direction collided head-on with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The impact caused the Jeep to overturn, leading to secondary collisions with a Nissan Pathfinder and a Toyota Corolla.

Safety officials urge all drivers to stay alert, follow signs, and keep their focus on the road, especially in areas known for confusing ramps and lane shifts.

Three people in the Jeep, including a 60-year-old man from St. Albans and two passengers from Hazelwood, died at the scene. The 88-year-old driver of the Equinox was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating how the driver of the Equinox entered the highway going the wrong way. The area near Lambert Airport is known for its confusing ramps and lane shifts, which may have contributed to the incident.

All northbound lanes were shut down for nearly five hours as crews worked to clear the wreckage and determine the cause of the crash.

FOX 2 reached out to the St. Louis County Medical Examiner for more information on the victims and is awaiting a response.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.