Police ID Woman Killed By 1-Ton Concrete Block In St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, MO — A driver died after a 1-ton block of concrete fell onto their car from on overpass on Forest Park Parkway Monday afternoon.

Another car slammed into a concrete guard rail on Lindell Boulevard around 2 p.m., police said, sending debris flying onto the roadway below. Some of that debris crushed a black Tesla, killing its driver, 58-year-old Janet Torrisi-Mokwa. Police said she died instantly.

"This was a very freak accident," St. Louis Police Lt. Paul Lauer told the Post-Dispatch. "Unfortunately, this car was here at the wrong time."

A 22-year-old woman who was driving the car that initially crashed was taken to a hospital and is said to be in stable condition. A third driver who collided with the Tesla after it was hit by falling concrete was not seriously injured.

Mokwa was the founder of Congruence, Inc., a Clayton leadership advisory firm that helps local businesses set and meet strategic goals, according to the company's website. She was also the wife of former St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa.

Police are still investigating the accident. St. Louis Alderwoman Heather Navarro told Fox 2 that the city has been looking to make the busy intersection of Lindell and Union, where the initial crash took place, safer for some time.

"A roundabout is one of the ideas that's been proposed," she said. "And the nice thing about that — you have people entering, it slows everybody down, and gives people easier access to whichever direction that they're going."

Image via Shutterstock