Fatal Shooting and Car Accident on Interstate 170 Near Overland, MO, Reported October 26, 2026

A 17-year-old driver died after being shot on Interstate 170 near Overland, Missouri, before her vehicle struck a concrete highway median. The shooting and crash involving Alyssa Wilson were reported on October 26, 2026.

Prosecutors allege that a single shot entered the rear of Wilson's Buick Encore and struck her in the back, leaving her unable to control the vehicle. Wilson was taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where she was pronounced dead following the shooting. Her vehicle was the only one reported involved in the collision.

Wilson was traveling to Boo at the Zoo, a Halloween event at the St. Louis Zoo. The man accused of shooting her had no known relationship with her.

Willie James Herndon, 43, of Arlington, Texas, faces first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges in St. Louis County. His wife, Taiya Herndon, 45, has also been charged with hindering prosecution.

Investigators arrested Willie Herndon at a hotel in Caseyville, Illinois. A search of the room reportedly uncovered a rifle, ammunition matching the type associated with Wilson's shooting, and two license plates. Federal prosecutors in Illinois also charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Authorities were also examining a separate shooting on Interstate 55 near Bates Avenue in St. Louis. In that incident, a 37-year-old motorist reported that a bullet struck the rear of the car after the driver passed a white SUV that had pulled over. No one was injured. Investigators were conducting laboratory and ballistic examinations to determine whether the same weapon was used in both shootings.