A two-vehicle crash at the intersection of North Belt Highway and Blackwell Road in St. Joseph left two Savannah residents with minor injuries Wednesday afternoon. The collision happened at approximately 12:42 p.m. when a 1995 Lexus LS400 driven by a 71-year-old Platte City man collided with a 2003 Toyota Tacoma carrying a 70-year-old Savannah woman and her 19-year-old passenger.
According to the KTTN report on the Missouri State Highway Patrol's findings, the Lexus was traveling northbound on Belt Highway in the left-turn lane at Blackwell Road and entered the intersection under a flashing yellow yield signal. The Toyota Tacoma was approaching southbound in the passing lane and struck the passenger side of the Lexus with its front end. Under Missouri Department of Transportation guidelines, a flashing yellow left-turn arrow indicates a permissive turn movement, meaning drivers must yield to all oncoming traffic and pedestrians before completing the maneuver, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Investigators say the Toyota's driver and passenger were wearing seat belts, while the Lexus driver was not, per the patrol's account relayed in the same report. The Toyota's driver and passenger sustained minor injuries and were transported by Buchanan County ambulance to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph for treatment. The Lexus driver did not sustain injuries, the patrol reported.
Secondary Seat Belt Law Limits Enforcement
Missouri operates under a secondary seat belt law, meaning officers cannot pull over a driver solely for failing to wear a seat belt unless another primary traffic violation has occurred, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. The same agency's 2025 observational survey data found a statewide seat belt usage rate of 88.5 percent, while unrestrained vehicle occupants accounted for 63 percent of Missouri traffic fatalities in 2023, according to MoDOT's reporting.
North Belt Highway, also known as US 169, is a roadway in St. Joseph.
Vehicles Came to Rest on Opposite Sides of Intersection
After the impact, the Toyota came to rest south of the intersection, facing south, while the Lexus came to rest in the westbound lanes of Blackwell Road, facing east. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage and were towed from the scene by Blue Knight Towing, based in St. Joseph, per the crash report.
The crash was investigated by Corporal C.C. De Alba of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, whose Troop H is headquartered in St. Joseph on North Belt Highway and holds jurisdiction over 15 counties across northwest Missouri, including Buchanan and Andrew counties, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Conservation Agent K. Gillenwater assisted with the investigation, and the St. Joseph Police Department also helped at the scene.
Regional Trauma Center Serves Rural Andrew County
Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph Medical Center, where the Toyota's driver and passenger were treated, operates as a 358-bed Level II Trauma Center, according to Mosaic Life Care.
It remains unclear whether any traffic citations were issued to the Lexus driver for failing to yield at the intersection, and the specific medical conditions of the two injured Savannah residents following their transport have not been detailed in official reports.
