Mom of 3 killed in North City crash, family calls out slow 911 response time
By Melanie Johnson
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ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — The family of Crystal McAlpin tells First Alert 4 that more could have been done to save the 33-year-old who was killed in a deadly crash on Sept. 22.
Her loved ones are pointing the finger at St. Louis City dispatchers and slow emergency response times.
“People was calling and kept being placed on hold saying the operator would be available soon,” says McAlpin’s aunt. “I was informed that it took them 25 minutes to pick up the call.”
Her aunt says she spoke to the woman who called 911 at the scene.
The fatal accident happened on Broadway and Humboldt in North City.
Crystal was working as a Lyft driver when her car was hit while she was en route to drop off a passenger.
Police say a 36-year-old driver in a black Chevy Cruze crashed into her Honda CRV as she was sitting at a red light.
“She was always grinding for her family, and she said, ‘I feel fine. I’m going to go to work today,’ and then this happens,” says her aunt.
Investigators say the man responsible hit two other cars and started a five-vehicle collision that sent people in four cars to the hospital.
“All because someone wants to speed,” the aunt says. “She had a big heart. Would do anything for anybody, but she’s not here to do that now.”
Crystal was a loving mom of 3 daughters and recently got married.
“A good mother. A good friend, a loving niece. “
In September, the city hired 30 plus dispatchers, including 21 for police calls.
That announcement came after a woman died while waiting for emergency crews during a July storm when a tree crashed onto her car.
McAlpin’s family hopes Crystal’s passing will make people stop driving recklessly and put pressure on the city to make improvements when people need help.
“They need to figure something out. Get more people answering phones.”
The passenger in the Lyft was also hurt and remains in the hospital.
The accused driver was also hurt, but police have not said if he’s in custody.
News 4 alerted the city’s public safety department of the family’s 911 response time complaint; they plan to look into what happened because of the story.
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