Somewhere in west St. Louis County, a dump truck driver named Rusty Soden decided that traffic signals were more of a suggestion than a requirement. On a Tuesday morning that MoDOT workers will probably never forget, Soden allegedly drove several miles with his truck bed fully raised, turning a routine commute into a demolition derby nobody signed up for.
When Bystanders Tried to Help, He Told Them Where to Go
Around 8:45 a.m., Soden’s truck reportedly obliterated a traffic signal at Highway 141 and Creve Coeur Mill Road in Maryland Heights, sending a twisted pole crashing into active traffic. A FOX 2 viewer caught the whole thing on camera, because of course they did. By the time it was over, five streetlights and one additional pole along Highway 141 had been wiped out, affecting all lanes between Casino Center Drive and Highway 364.
Here is where it gets truly special: multiple passing drivers actually flagged Soden down and told him his truck bed was up and that he had just demolished a traffic light. His response, according to police, was to tell them to get lost. In considerably more colorful terms.
He Kept Going, Because Why Stop Now
Apparently unbothered, Soden reportedly continued his unscheduled infrastructure tour, eventually striking the overpass at southbound Interstate 270 and I-64 in Town and Country. MoDOT bridge crews were dispatched to inspect multiple structures, though inspectors noted the bridge damage was limited to scrapes and scratches. The traffic signals were not so lucky.
Witnesses nearby described hearing a sudden crash and watching streetlights shake from a block away. One bystander said he genuinely thought the truck was going to flip on a nearby turn. It did not flip. It just kept going and hit another light.
Troopers eventually caught up with Soden about 10 miles later on southbound I-270. He now faces five counts of leaving the scene of an accident and one count of driving a commercial vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for safety. He is currently sitting in jail on a $75,000 cash-only bond, which feels like the universe’s way of finally telling him to park it.