ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis woman was hospitalized after being hit by a car while crossing the street at the iconic Ted Drewes Frozen Custard stand along Chippewa Street.
The woman was there to buy a Christmas tree from the custard shop’s seasonal tree lot.
It happened around 7:15 p.m. Friday night, police said. The driver stopped and is cooperating with investigators.
The woman remained hospitalized in intensive care with multiple broken bones, according to friends.
The incident happened as the St. Louis landmark and tourist attraction have been waiting for more than a year for safety improvements from the City of St. Louis.
Two people were hit and killed crossing a street at Ted Drewes in 2022.
“First and foremost, my heart goes out to the family,” Alderman Tom Oldenburg said. “Nobody wants a loved one in the hospital. Nobody wants to be in the hospital. This is something we just need to address at a faster pace.”
The owner of Ted Drewes echoed that sentiment, telling FOX 2 that he was deeply saddened by the latest accident and hoping for a more aggressive timetable for the improvements.
In May 2022, a Washington University librarian in his 70s was hit and killed. A couple of months later, in July 2022, a 17-year-old CBC high school student was struck and killed.
A new crosswalk and curb improvements were initially planned for this past spring or summer.
Oldenburg has now pushed the project through sluggish government channels, lining up close to $500,000 in federal pandemic ARPA funding. Work should start this spring.
“We will have raised curbs and bollards to protect ‘custard goers’ and pedestrians, as well as a mid-block crosswalk with a light signal so people crossing the street will have protection of the crosswalk and a stoplight,” Oldenburg said.
“Please put it in place,” customer Michelle Krassinger said. “We don’t want to see any more people (get hurt) who come for a good reason. They’re not doing anything wrong. They’re buying a tree, getting ice cream, socializing. They’re trying to enjoy the city. That’s the important part. We want people to enjoy the city.”
Oldenburg is also pushing for a more immediate improvement that does not have to wait until spring, like upgraded LED street lighting, to make things a lot brighter, visually more crisp, and safer.
