Man charged after 4 die in Midtown crash

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - The four victims who died in an early Sunday morning accident in Midtown St. Louis were identified by police Tuesday.

The two-car accident happened just before 2 a.m. on Sunday at Forest Park Parkway and South Grand near SLU’s campus.

Police say the driver of a Chevy Impala going south on Grand drove around stopped traffic and into the northbound lanes. The driver then ran a red light on S. Grand and hit a Chevy Tahoe, causing the Tahoe to hit the bridge guardrail and fall off of the bridge, where it landed upside-down on Forest Park Parkway.

News 4 obtained surveillance video showing the moment of impact.

Warning: This video is disturbing

READ: ‘I’m surprised I’m here’ Victim of Forest Park crash gives his perspective of crash that left 4 dead

The driver of the Impala fled the scene on foot. Police later identified 34-year-old Cedric Eugene Dixon as the suspect in the incident. He has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, eight counts of armed criminal action, four counts of assault, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. On Wednesday, March 1, Dixon turned himself in.

A probable cause statement against Dixon alleges he took the license plate off his car before fleeing the scene. The probable cause statement adds that two SLU security guards identified him after seeing him at the scene.

There were eight occupants of the Tahoe, four were pronounced dead at the scene, and four are listed as being in critical condition. Police identified the victims who died as:

• Bryanna Johnson, 18, of St. Louis
• Anthony Robinson, 19, of Jennings
• Contrail McKinley, 20, of St. Louis
• Richard Boyd, 19, of St. Louis

The four victims in critical condition are two 18-year-olds and two 19-year-olds.

“I see people run this red light all the time,” said Jason Hancock, a SLU student.

Sunday afternoon, Nick Desideri, communications director for St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, sent News 4 the following statement:

“St. Louis mourns the loss of four young lives, and we are praying for those still in critical condition following this morning’s horrible crash at Forest Park and South Grand. Traffic violence at this location makes it the most unsafe intersection for pedestrians and cyclists in our entire city. Our office is reaching out to MoDOT regarding proposals to improve this area, and SLMPD continues to deploy a data-driven approach to hold dangerous drivers accountable in high-crash areas. The City is also exploring automated enforcement solutions to discourage dangerous driving.

This week, Mayor Jones will sign into law the largest investment in road and pedestrian safety in the city’s history, calming streets and putting St. Louis on the path to its first mobility and transportation master plan. Tragedies like these remind us that addressing pedestrian safety and dangerous driving requires a true citywide approach.”

This story will be updated as News 4 learns more.

correction: An early version of this story said there was four people in each car involved.

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