ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A fatal truck collision shut northbound Interstate 270 near Route 21 early Thursday, followed hours later by another crash across the interstate.

First Alert 4, citing MoDOT and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, reported the first collision around 3:55 a.m. A trash truck and pickup had stopped after an initial collision when a tractor-trailer approached.

The tractor-trailer driver steered right but struck the pickup, pushing it into the trash truck, according to the reported investigation. The 58-year-old tractor-trailer driver died, and the pickup’s 32-year-old driver was seriously injured.

A separate three-vehicle crash occurred around 8 a.m. on the southbound side. One vehicle rolled onto its side near an onramp, and at least one person was reported injured.

The incidents disrupted both directions of a major commuter corridor. MoDOT directed northbound traffic toward Route 21 and alternate connections during the response.

The station’s headline and summary differed on the total injury count. This report uses the individually described injuries rather than treating the conflicting total as settled. The morning closure account is not a verified afternoon traffic-status update.