Police Say Teenage Driver Fell Asleep in Crash

The driver of a car that collided with a parked Missouri State Highway Patrol car on the shoulder of Interstate 70 Saturday morning had fallen asleep at the wheel, according to police.

The trooper involved in the wreck, William H. Abel, 48, Warrenton, was sitting in his vehicle at the time the accident occurred after just completing a traffic stop.

Abel was transported by ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis where he was treated for minor injuries and released that same day.

The accident occurred at 9:10 a.m. in the area between the eastbound rest area and the Wildcat Drive overpass. The eastbound lanes were closed for several hours as traffic was rerouted onto the outer roads as the patrol’s reconstruction team investigated the crash.

According to the preliminary crash report, Abel’s 2012 Dodge Charger was parked on the shoulder of I-70 with its emergency lights activated when it was struck from behind by a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Jordan M. Khani, 18, St. Louis.

The patrol said Khani had fallen asleep causing his car to travel off the right side of the interstate where it then struck the left rear of Abel’s police car.

The accident totaled the trooper’s car, while Khani’s car suffered extensive damage.

A passenger in Khani’s car, identified as Jared D. Marin, 18, Kirkwood, also was transported by ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital West and treated for minor injuries and released.

Both Khani and Marin were arrested for possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and false identification, according to the patrol. Khani also was cited for failure to drive on the right half of the roadway.