Truck driver Richard Holden was just outside of St. Louis on September 28, 2025, when his 18-wheeler approached stalled traffic on Interstate 55. Instead of slowing down, Holden’s rig stayed at full speed and plowed into a line of cars. The accident killed three women, including a mom of three, and damaged several cars. At the time, Holden claimed he started to slow down, but his dash cam footage shows something totally different. Be advised: It’s very hard to watch.
In footage shared to social media, we see a beautiful blue sky and what appears to be a lovely day. Then, without slowing, Holden barrels his truck into seven vehicles. The impact of the crash sends metal and debris flying as the semi finally comes to a stop in the grass. The accident occurred in a construction zone in Festus, about 35 miles south of St. Louis. Police arrested Holden after a trip to the hospital. He faces four charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony assault.
The accident footage positively horrified viewers. “As an insurance adjuster I have worked many of these types of accidents. The damage to the victims is horrific. I don’t think I ever worked on one this bad,” one person commented on the post.
“If he ‘dozed off’ then this is entirely on the company he works for. Those companies are nothing more than slave drivers,” someone else wrote. “Im willing to bet he never gets his 30s and most if not everytime, he does not get his resets. Im not saying that he should not be in jail. Im just saying that there may be others who set this up and they need to join him in jail.”
Sadly, some think Holden deliberately crashed his truck. “It looks intentional,” someone wrote.
Tragically, the accident killed Vanessa Y. Knowles, 63, Donnie Briggs, 66, and Darla P. Parris, 53. Quite frankly, we expected far more casualties after watching the footage.
After the crash, Holden allegedly made a shocking statement to police. “I think I might have dozed off,” he said. That apparent nap cost three people their lives and likely ruined his own.
