Hillsboro Woman, 67, Killed After Nissan Rear-Ends Her Can-Am Spyder on Highway 21

A 67-year-old Hillsboro woman is dead after the three-wheeled Can-Am Spyder she was riding was rear-ended by a car on Highway 21 in Jefferson County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The woman was ejected from the vehicle in the crash, which happened just after 2:24 p.m. Sunday north of Yellow Rock Road, and she was later pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital Jefferson.

Troopers say a 2012 Nissan Altima, driven by a 28-year-old man, was traveling north on Highway 21 behind the 2019 Can-Am Spyder when it struck the rear of the three-wheeler, according to KTTN. The crash report attributes the collision to the Nissan following too closely, a violation of Missouri's mandatory following-distance law. Under Missouri Revised Statute § 304.017, drivers are required to maintain a safe and prudent distance behind other vehicles, and violations that lead to tailgating or rear-end collisions are treated as class C misdemeanors carrying fines up to $750 and as much as 15 days in jail.

The Can-Am Spyder was totaled in the impact, while the Nissan sustained moderate damage, per the same report. Both vehicles were towed from the scene by Shanks Towing. Investigators noted the Hillsboro woman was using safety equipment at the time of the crash, and the Nissan's driver was wearing his seat belt.

Emergency Response Along the Highway 21 Corridor

Valle Ambulance District transported the injured woman to Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Festus. The district is an Advanced Life Support agency covering a 233-square-mile stretch of Jefferson County through three stations, including one on Highway 21 in De Soto, according to Valle Ambulance District. Mercy Hospital Jefferson, where she was pronounced dead, is a 209-staffed-bed acute care facility with a 24-room emergency department serving the county, per Mercy.

The investigation involved multiple members of Troop C, including Trooper M. Momot, Trooper C. Swederska, Trooper A. Moran, Corporal B. Magnan and Ranger C. Blumenstock, who all assisted at the scene, the report states. Missouri's helmet exemption for riders 26 and older who carry qualifying medical insurance, outlined under RSMo § 302.020 and § 302.026, is part of the legal backdrop for why safety gear use is routinely documented in crash reports involving riders on three-wheeled vehicles like the Can-Am Spyder.

How a Can-Am Spyder Differs Legally From an Autocycle

The Can-Am Spyder involved in the crash is legally classified in Missouri as a motortricycle rather than an autocycle, a distinction that matters for licensing and equipment rules. Under Missouri Revised Statute § 304.005, autocycles are defined as three-wheeled vehicles with enclosed, non-straddle seating and steering wheels, while motortricycles like the Spyder feature straddle seating and handlebar-style controls, placing them under different statutory requirements.

A Familiar Danger on a Rural Highway

Rear-end collisions are the most common type of multi-vehicle crash in Missouri, accounting for 40.8% of all crashes between motor vehicles, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data cited by Mutrux Firm Injury Lawyers. Highway 21 in Jefferson County has seen other fatal wrecks in recent years, including a March 2022 multi-vehicle crash near Vineland Road North that killed a 49-year-old driver and a separate single-vehicle fatal crash near Lembeck Lake Road, both investigated by Troop C.

The corridor has also drawn safety warnings unrelated to Sunday's crash. In June, the Missouri Department of Transportation flagged an uptick in stolen and vandalized road signs along Highway 21 near De Soto, warning that missing signage poses a serious hazard to drivers in the area.

Statewide, Missouri has actually seen traffic fatalities decline in 2026. The state recorded 402 traffic deaths through the first two quarters of the year, down from 426 over the same period in 2025, according to preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Troop C, which covers Jefferson County and the greater St. Louis region, recorded 129 vehicle fatalities through late July, down from 169 during the same stretch last year, per Missouri State Highway Patrol figures.

It remains unclear whether the Nissan's driver will face criminal charges or a traffic citation in connection with the crash. The Missouri State Highway Patrol's report identifies the following-too-close violation but does not indicate that charges have been filed.