A Tuesday morning commute in St. Louis turned deadly when a 65-year-old woman crashed into a tree at the intersection of Oakland Avenue and Oakview Place and later died at a hospital.
Officers responding to the scene found a single-vehicle collision and the driver in cardiac arrest inside the car. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later, according to the St. Louis County Police Department.
Police said they were dispatched to the crash site around 7 a.m. and confirmed that the victim was a 65-year-old woman. Investigators believe the car left the roadway and struck a tree at the intersection before officers arrived, FOX 2 reported.
Medical emergency believed to be the cause
Early investigative work points to a sudden medical emergency behind the wheel as the likely trigger for the crash, according to FOX 2. The driver has not been publicly identified, and authorities have released few additional details while they sort through the timeline of what happened.
Police say there is no indication that any other vehicles were involved, and the incident is being treated as a single-vehicle collision while the investigation continues.
What comes next
Detectives are still piecing together the moments leading up to the crash and are asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle in the area that morning, or who may have other relevant information, to contact the St. Louis County Police Department.
Officials say additional information will be released as it becomes available.
