Accident leaves Columbia woman injured

The passengers and driver in the other vehicle remained unharmed.

By Andrew Worrall

Published April 21, 2009

A Columbia woman was listed in serious condition after an accident Sunday night on Conley Road near the U.S. 63 Connector, a Columbia Police Department news release stated.

Kristan Simpson was driving south on U.S. Highway 63 when she drove into the median, went airborne and landed in the southbound lane of Conley Road, the release stated.

The red Ford Explorer Simpson was driving struck the median separating Conley Road from the on-ramp to the Highway 63 connector, the release stated. The vehicle bounced off the median and began traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Conley Road.

A white pickup truck driven by Mark Unterreinger, 33, swerved to avoid the oncoming Ford Explorer, but collided with the vehicle. The rear passenger tire of the pickup truck was deflated after striking the SUV. The right side of the white truck was also damaged.

Conley Road was closed for about two hours while firefighters and Emergency Medical Services personnel extricated Simpson from the vehicle. Simpson was not wearing a seatbelt, the release stated.

Simpson was taken to University Hospital and was listed in serious condition.

Unterreinger and his 7- and 3-year-old passengers were wearing seatbelts and were not injured, the release stated.

CPD Officer Curtis Perkins stressed the importance of seatbelts after this crash.

"Obviously it's important to wear a seatbelt," Perkins said. "It's also important to keep the vehicle on the roadway."

There are no cable barriers or concrete dividers between the northbound and southbound lanes of Highway 63. The only thing separating the roadways is a grass median.

Perkins said it is still unclear why Simpson was driving in the median, but she traveled about 200 to 300 feet in the grass before flying over hill between the overpasses over Conley Road.

Perkins said alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash but Perkins said if the toxicology report comes back positive for alcohol, Simpson could also face charges of driving while intoxicated.

Charges were pending Monday afternoon but could include traffic violations for driving down the median, Perkins said.