A trio of injury crashes last Tuesday morning was followed by a pair of crashes early last Wednesday evening in Monroe County.

As a result, one person died and several others were injured.

The first crash occurred about 7:25 a.m. last Tuesday in the 5200 block of Route 156 near Susewind Lane east of Waterloo. The Waterloo Fire Department joined Monroe County EMS, Waterloo police and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department in responding to the crash. 

Police said a four-door 2017 Jeep Wrangler with no doors on it driven by Jacqueline N. Ethington, 41, of Marissa, was traveling west when the vehicle began skidding across the eastbound lane. The Jeep struck a ditch on the left side of the road and spun in a half circle, striking a retaining wall with the rear of the vehicle in the driveway of 5262 State Route 156. 

Ethington was ejected from her vehicle, which contained a soft-top roof with the rear cargo area exposed. Ethington was transported to Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis County for treatment of unspecified injuries.

A rollover crash was reported just a few minutes later in the 2000 block of Trout Hollow Road, with the subject safely out of the vehicle but injured. The Valmeyer Fire Department responded along with the sheriff’s department and Monroe County EMS. 

The driver of a 2007 Ford Escape was a 16-year-old female. The police report indicates she was driving west on Trout Hollow Road when she lost control of the vehicle and struck a ditch. The teen was transported to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis.

The most serious crash occurred shortly before 8 a.m. on Route 3 south of KK Road near Crook Road south of Waterloo. The WFD and MCSD responded along with MedStar EMS. 

ARCH Air Medical Services was also requested, but it was ultimately determined to rush the female patient by ambulance to Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis County. Illinois State Police investigated the crash. 

The ISP said a white 2014 Honda Civic was traveling south on Route 3 approximately one-quarter mile north of Polacek Drive. The car ran off the road to the left, struck a ditch/embankment and then struck several trees. The car was split in two and rolled numerous times, ejecting the driver, Tina Fundoukos-Singh, 54, of Ballwin, Mo. Her injuries were initially listed by police as life-threatening. 

A post on CaringBridge.org by a family member on Thursday provided an update on Fundoukos-Singh’s condition.

“She suffered significant injuries to her legs, pelvis and spine,” the post states. “She had an initial surgery to repair and set compound fractures in her ankles and shin bones. There will be further surgeries to address her other injuries. She is sedated to mitigate her pain and has not been conscious. She is stable now, and we are taking things one day at a time.”

The roads were wet last Tuesday morning due to early morning precipitation, but it was not immediately known how much that was a factor in these crashes.

Two separate crashes took place early last Wednesday evening in Monroe County, one resulting in death and both causing serious injuries. 

The first crash involved a side-by-side UTV and occurred shortly before 6 p.m. in the 2600 block of Trout Camp Road near Deer Hill Road in rural Waterloo. The MCSD, Monroe County EMS, WFD and Columbia Fire Department all responded to the incident.

Police said both occupants of the UTV were ejected in the crash. Monroe County EMS transported one occupant by ambulance to a local hospital and the other occupant was airlifted by medical helicopter to a St. Louis hospital. 

One of the UTV occupants, 17-year-old David F. Browning Jr. of St. Louis, was pronounced deceased at Red Bud Regional Hospital by Randolph County Coroner Carlos Barbour. 

Visitation and funeral services for Browning took place Tuesday at Kutis Affton Chapel in St. Louis.

Per his obituary, Browning “was very ambitious at work as a welder, and at play as an avid hunter and fisherman. On a bike he was known as ‘Wheelie Kid’ because he could ride a wheelie for over a mile. David was homeschooled for 10 years during his primary grades, providing him the opportunity to advance and become the youngest graduate at the American Welding Academy at the age of 16.”

The other occupant of the UTV, a 20-year-old Columbia man, was flown to Saint Louis University Hospital. 

The Trout Camp Road crash investigation is active and ongoing, and anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the MCSD’s Investigation Division at 618-939-8651, ext. 244 or ext. 271.

“It will probably be at least a month before we release anything new,” MCSD Sgt. Justin Biggs said Monday when asked for an update on this investigation. 

Then shortly before 6:45 p.m. last Wednesday, the Waterloo and Columbia fire departments, Columbia EMS, sheriff’s department and Valmeyer police all responded to a single-vehicle rollover crash with ejection and entrapment on Bluff Road between Hanover Road and HH Road. 

Two occupants of the vehicle in that crash, both young women, were rushed by Columbia EMS ambulances to St. Louis hospitals for treatment of serious injuries, with Waterloo firemen driving the ambulances. Columbia firefighters utilized the department’s drone to conduct an aerial search of the crash site to rule out the possibility of a third person being involved in the rollover crash. 

That portion of Bluff Road was closed to traffic for accident reconstruction until 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

The ISP said a white 2017 Nissan Maxima driven by a 23-year-old woman from Ellis Grove was traveling south on Bluff Road approximately .6 miles south of Hanover Road when it drove off the roadway to the left and struck an embankment, causing the car to overturn. 

The passenger in the car was a 28-year-old Red Bud woman.

ISP said an investigation into this crash remains underway and no other information would be released at this time. 

“To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, no further information is being released,” ISP Trooper Josh Robinson said Monday.

One of the women injured in this crash was Tierney Courtois of Red Bud, who has since posted on Facebook that she is home from the hospital.

“I’m finally home but have a long road of recovery ahead,” she posted. “Between skull fracture and brain surgery I’m unfortunately bald, broken ribs and broken neck will have me bedridden for a while. I love y’all and thanks for your kindness.”