Crime & Safety

Saturday's Storm Causes Unusual Car Crash

The storm that brought damaging winds and hail to the Wentzville/Lake Saint Louis area had some unexpected consequences.

Saturday's storm damaged trees, signs and utility poles. The accompanying hail broke siding and screens and shattered windshields. But the storms also caused a one-car accident on Interstate 70.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2011 Chevy Equinox driven by Patricia C. Kilroy-Govero, 56, of Wentzville, was traveling westbound on Interstate 70 east of Highway 61 at 5:30 p.m.

The severe weather conditions caused the car's airbags to deploy. The report did not specify if it was the hail or another aspect of the weather that caused the deployment.

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Kilroy-Govero received minor injuries and was taken to in .

Patch talked to Dan Clancy of in about the possibility of hail or high winds causing air bags to deploy.

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"I've never heard of of that," he said. "Something would have had to impact the sensors—normally located in the front by the bumper and grill, or on the sides."

Clancy said he had heard of people slamming their doors really hard and setting off the air bags, but he had also known cars to bump into other cars or objects in parking lots and not set them off.

"There would have to be an impact around the sensors," Clancy said. "Otherwise, getting hit by a golf ball on your roof or hood would set off the air bags, too."


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