Gretchen Stahlschmidt, 43, was hit by a vehicle on Clayton Road as she entered the crosswalk, northbound, at Highland Terrace, at 8:51 p.m. on September 2, according to Richmond Heights Police Captain Captain Craig A. Mueller.
She was pronounced dead at Barnes Hospital. Mueller said the incident is under investigation. She was struck by an eastbound 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee as she was walking north.
The driver stayed at the scene and performed CPR on Stahlschmidt, Mueller said. Mueller also said the driver was cooperating with investigators and was not arrested, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Stahlschmidt was a Visitation Academy graduate, according to another source. “Gretchen’s wit and humor will be forever missed,” her obituary in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said.
Visitation will be at Bopp Chapel (10610 Manchester Road) from 4 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7.
I have to say that this is very haunting to me and I feel so badly for Ms. Stahlschmidt and her family. My wife and I have crossed this intersection many times on foot and by bike and I just can’t see how the heck the driver was paying attention. Not only is this intersection well lit but there are pedestrian beeps/tones that go off when people are crossing the street. I would be willing to bet that this driver was on his/her phone AND speeding through the intersection. I just can’t see how they could have done this any other way!
Please if you are riding or walking through busy intersections NEVER assume that oncoming drivers are paying attention. These days it’s safer to assume that they won’t be. Wait until traffic comes to a FULL and complete STOP before crossing.
I wouldn’t harp so much about receiving great level 1 care at Barnes, they aren’t the best. They missed a fractured hip, fractured lower back, internal injuries and brain injury on me August 9, 2014 (yes same day of the Ferguson crap) and sent me home saying I had a nasty headache and “tummy” ache. They didn’t even wait till I had an x-ray done before the doctor ripped the C-collar off my neck and flipping me off the backboard. When they did do my x-ray, they only did my neck and then tried to hand me pain pills even though I was vomiting and highly confused. This stemmed from a partial head on car crash, I told them I wanted to go to St. Mary’s, but they told me I had no choice and that Barnes was “wonderful” HA!
Because she can receive high level of care at a level 1 trauma center vs the level 2 at St Marys. Better life expectancy getting those specialties involved sooner than transferring her.
Highland Terrace and Clayton Rd. are located one block from St. Mary’s Hospital. Why the trip to Barnes Jewish Hospital?
Possibly because of emergency room waiting times or because Barnes is a Level 1 trauma hospital. Or because of insurance.
Emergency services do not make hospital determinations based on insurance. Patients are transported to the closest appropriate facility unless they are conscious and demand a different hospital.
It has been a while since I’ve been to St. Mary’s but why did they take her all the way to Barnes when the accident happened right by a hospital?
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