St. Louis has several intersections with significantly higher crash rates than others-—Grand Blvd & Forest Park Ave, Kingshighway & Lindell Blvd, and the Hampton Ave/I-44 interchange are repeat trouble spots.
Heavy traffic, limited sight lines, complex layouts, and aggressive driving make these areas risky for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Know the hazards at each spot and take extra care when you pass through.
1. Grand Boulevard and Forest Park Avenue
Next to Saint Louis University, Grand Blvd (this particular section honorarily renamed “Father Biondi, S.J. Way“) and Forest Park carries a steady mix of students, commuters, and visitors.
Stop-and-go lines mean more rear-end crashes, and the constant foot traffic raises the risk for people crossing. Speeds tend to climb near the highway ramps, which makes those crossings harder to judge.
2. Kingshighway Boulevard And Lindell Boulevard
On the Northwest edge of Forest Park, this junction feeds St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and Washington University in St. Louis. Multiple turn lanes, buses, and busy crosswalks all meet in a tight space. As drivers shift lanes to reach hospital and campus entrances, pedestrians in the crosswalk are easy to miss.
3. Hampton Avenue And I-44 Interchange
Interchanges are tricky by nature, and this one is worse than most. Merging at highway speeds leads to sudden lane changes—exactly the mix that produces sideswipes and rear-end hits.
The long ramps also make it hard to judge closing speed and stopping distance. Even a small crash here can block a lane and trigger dangerous backups.
4. Natural Bridge Avenue And Union Boulevard
This North St. Louis crossroads sees heavy volume and too much speed, a combination that drives serious wrecks. It serves several neighborhoods, so through-traffic, turning cars, and people on foot all meet at once.
Too often, careful drivers or pedestrians pay the price for someone else’s reckless move—speed plus congestion makes this corner especially risky.
5. Gravois Avenue And Chippewa Street
Because Gravois crosses the grid at a diagonal, its junction with Chippewa near Morganford has unusual angles and several signals. That layout breeds confusion—and red-light violations—while the wide lanes and short sightlines make crossings risky for pedestrians.
6. Page Boulevard And North Grand Boulevard
In North St. Louis, this junction carries both commercial and neighborhood traffic. Speeding and aggressive driving have produced a history of serious pedestrian injuries and fatalities. The corridor’s wide roadways and poor lighting demand extra caution, especially for people on foot.
7. Skinker Boulevard And Delmar Boulevard
Gateway to the Delmar Loop and wedged between Washington University in St. Louis and Forest Park, this corner stays busy with students, shoppers, and commuters. Expect cars, pedestrians, and cyclists all at once. Watch crosswalks closely and share the lane with bikes—the constant activity and distractions raise the risk of a miss.
8. Jefferson Avenue And Chouteau Avenue
Jefferson is a heavy north–south corridor, and its meeting with Chouteau creates turn-versus-through conflicts—most obvious at rush hour. Congestion near downtown and the highways adds stop-and-go pressure, so extra caution pays off when backups grow and tempers run high.
9. Broadway And Washington Avenue
In downtown St. Louis, this corner serves commuters and visitors headed to attractions and events. The mix of locals and out-of-towners makes traffic unpredictable.
Speeding and red-light runs have caused serious crashes, and heavy foot traffic plus unfamiliar drivers make it a high-risk spot.
10. McCausland Avenue, Skinker Blvd, Oakland Avenue, And Clayton Avenue
On the southwest corner of Forest Park, this six-leg intersection ties into highway ramps and multiple signals. Even with recent safety tweaks, the layout demands close attention—merges, signal phases, and lane choices come quickly.
With local and highway traffic converging, confusion and collisions are a constant risk.
Why Are These St. Louis Intersections So Dangerous?
Certain St. Louis intersections see more crashes because the risk factors line up at the same places and times. Rush-hour volumes put too many vehicles in too little space.
Design issues—blind spots from buildings or trees, confusing lane markings, and short or missing turn lanes—force abrupt maneuvers.
Driver conduct then magnifies the problem: speeding through late yellow phases, running red lights, and distracted driving. In busy urban areas, heavy pedestrian activity further raises both the likelihood and severity of collisions.
Key contributors:
- Peak-hour volume that packs too many vehicles into limited space
- Limited sight distance from buildings, trees, or roadway geometry
- Complex layouts—merges, diagonal approaches, or short/unclear turn lanes
- Aggressive or distracted driving—speeding, signal violations, or failing to yield
How Did We Choose These Intersections?
Using multiple official crash datasets, we cross-checked where collisions cluster in St. Louis. This list focuses on those intersections and the factors that make them risky for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Sources We Used And How We Verified Locations
We verified each intersection by comparing multiple trusted datasets and kept only those that showed a consistent crash pattern across sources:
- Missouri State Highway Patrol crash statistics
- St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department accident reports
- Insurance-company studies on dangerous intersections
- Local traffic-safety reports from community organizations
What Crashes Happen Most At These Intersections?
These spots see recurring patterns tied to driver behavior and design issues. Knowing the pattern helps you anticipate risk.
Rear-end collisions
- Common causes: following too closely, sudden stops, distracted driving.
- Typical injuries: whiplash, neck and back injuries, spinal damage.
T-bone (side-impact) crashes
- Common causes: running red lights, failing to yield the right-of-way.
- Typical injuries: head trauma, broken bones, internal injuries.
Left-turn crashes
- Common causes: misjudging oncoming speed, poor visibility.
- Typical injuries: chest injuries, brain trauma, side-impact damage.
Pedestrian collisions
- Common causes: failure to yield at crosswalks, distracted driving.
- Typical injuries: catastrophic injuries, fractures, fatalities.
How Do You Stay Safe at These Intersections?
You can’t control other drivers, but you can lower your own risk at St. Louis’s busiest corners. Drive defensively and keep your focus on the road.
Essential safety steps
- Stay alert: put the phone away, especially when you are approaching busy intersections.
- Obey signals: don’t try to beat a yellow or roll a stop sign.
- Check twice: look for pedestrians and cyclists before any turn, especially right turns.
- Maintain distance: leave at least a three-second gap to the vehicle ahead.
For pedestrians
- Use crosswalks: cross only at marked or signalized locations.
- Make eye contact: get a driver’s attention before stepping off the curb.
- Stay visible: wear bright clothing at night or in poor weather.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident in St. Louis?
After a crash in St. Louis, the first few minutes matter. Take a breath, stay calm, and protect your health and your rights.
Keep These Steps in Mind:
- Check for injuries and call 911. Your health comes first, and you need an official police report
- Move to safety. Get out of traffic if possible to prevent additional collisions
- Document everything. Take photos of vehicle damage, the accident scene, and any visible injuries
- Exchange information. Get the other driver’s insurance details and contact information
- Contact a lawyer. Speak with an attorney before talking to any insurance company
Never admit fault or apologize at the scene, even if you think you might have contributed to the accident. Let the investigation determine what happened.
Injured At A St. Louis Intersection? Contact Our St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers Today
A serious crash at one of these corridors leaves you with medical care, missed work, and an insurer pressing for statements. At Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, we focus exclusively on motor-vehicle cases in Missouri, so we know how to investigate intersection collisions and prove fault.
Since 1990, our family firm has treated every case personally and kept clients informed at each step. Our award-winning auto accident attorneys in St. Louis take over the legal work—handling all insurer communications, preserving and collecting evidence, and pressing for full, fair compensation—so you can focus on treatment, and you owe no fee unless we win.
Have questions or need guidance now? Contact us online to speak with our team.
FAQs
Which St. Louis Intersections Have the Most Fatal Accidents?
Data regularly puts Grand Blvd & Forest Park Ave and Natural Bridge Ave & Union Blvd among the city’s deadliest. Both see frequent high-speed crashes and a troubling number of pedestrian fatalities.
What Time Of Day Do Most Intersection Accidents Happen In St. Louis?
Collisions peak during the morning and evening rush hours when volumes are highest. There’s also a late-night weekend spike tied to impaired driving and excessive speed.
How Quickly Is Traffic Camera Footage Deleted After an Accident?
Many systems keep video only briefly, so it’s important to request or preserve footage immediately after a crash.
