Missouri Thanksgiving Car Accidents: What Last Year’s Patrol Numbers Show, and What to Do If You’re Hit

Short answer: Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Over the 2025 Thanksgiving counting period, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 304 crashes, 82 injuries, 3 deaths and 87 DWI arrests (preliminary). Two of the three people killed weren’t wearing seat belts and were ejected. If you’re hurt in a holiday crash, get safe, get the report number, get checked out, and know that Missouri allows five years to file most injury claims (RSMo 516.120) and three years for wrongful death (RSMo 537.100).

Thanksgiving week is its own animal on Missouri roads. Wednesday night, everybody’s heading somewhere. Thursday it’s the drive to Grandma’s, then the drive back after a big meal and maybe a couple of beers. Friday through Sunday it’s shopping traffic, football traffic and the long haul home.

This year Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26. So before you load up the car, let’s look at what actually happened last year, according to the troopers who worked those crashes.

What the Highway Patrol reported for Thanksgiving 2025

On December 1, 2025, the Missouri State Highway Patrol released its Thanksgiving numbers. The counting period ran from 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 26, 2025, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 30. Troopers reported these preliminary numbers:

• 304 traffic crashes
• 82 injuries
• 3 deaths
• 87 DWI arrests

That’s a little over four days.

For the 2024 Thanksgiving counting period, the Patrol said troopers investigated 462 crashes, with 6 deaths and 158 injuries, and arrested 106 people for driving while intoxicated. The same release says that statewide, 11 people died and 571 people were injured in 1,664 crashes over the 2024 holiday. That bigger number reaches beyond the crashes troopers handled.

So was 2025 safer? I wouldn’t say that. The Patrol calls the 2025 figures preliminary and says they can change if late deaths occur or other agencies report more crashes. The counting windows also don’t line up the same way every year. Two holiday weekends aren’t a trend. What they give you is a picture of how fast a few days can go wrong.

Two of the three people killed weren’t buckled

This is the part of the release that stuck with me. Two of the three people who died in crashes the Patrol reported over Thanksgiving 2025 weren’t wearing seat belts, and both were ejected. Both crashes happened on Thanksgiving Day, one on Missouri 135 in Cooper County and one on Interstate 29 in Atchison County.

The third death was a child passenger in St. Charles County. The Patrol says she was wearing her seat belt. Belts don’t make anybody bulletproof. But in the other two deaths, the Patrol’s report is blunt: no seat belt, thrown from the vehicle.

Missouri law requires the driver and front-seat passenger of a passenger car to wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt, and kids under 16 have their own restraint rules (RSMo 307.178).

Now the question I get: what if you weren’t buckled and somebody else caused the crash? You can still have a claim. Under that same statute, not wearing a belt can’t be treated as comparative negligence. The other side can use it to reduce your damages only if they bring an expert who proves the missing belt contributed to your injuries. Even then, the reduction can’t exceed 1 percent of the damages awarded. (Product cases against a vehicle manufacturer follow different rules.)

We walk through that in more detail in our post on whether not wearing a seat belt hurts your injury claim in Missouri.

87 DWI arrests in one holiday weekend

Eighty-seven. That’s how many people troopers arrested for driving while intoxicated during the 2025 Thanksgiving counting period. In 2024 the number was 106.

The night before Thanksgiving is a homecoming night in a lot of Missouri towns. People are back where they grew up. Old friends meet up. And somebody decides they’re fine to drive.

If an impaired driver hits you, two things run on two separate tracks. The State handles the criminal DWI case (RSMo 577.010). You handle the injury claim. The criminal case can punish the driver. It doesn’t pay your medical bills. That money generally comes through insurance or a civil case, and that’s where a lot of people get surprised. Our drunk driving crash page goes deeper on those claims.

Holiday traffic means out-of-town drivers and thin insurance

A lot of the cars on Missouri highways Thanksgiving week aren’t from here. And plenty of the ones that are carry only what the law requires.

Here’s what Missouri requires on a liability policy (RSMo 303.190):

• $25,000 for bodily injury to one person
• $50,000 for bodily injury to two or more people in one accident
• $25,000 for property damage

Missouri also requires uninsured motorist coverage on policies issued here, at the same $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury limits (RSMo 379.203). Underinsured motorist coverage is optional.

Sit with that $25,000 for a second. An ambulance ride, an ER visit, a surgery, a few weeks off work. It goes fast. If the driver who hit you carried the minimum, your own underinsured coverage (if you bought it) may be what fills the gap. Check your declarations page before you hit the road, not after.

What about an out-of-state driver? Missouri law says a nonresident driving here has to keep the financial responsibility their home state requires (RSMo 303.025). Their limits may be different from Missouri’s. It’s still a claim you can pursue.

What to do after a Thanksgiving crash

• Get safe first. If the cars can move and nobody’s hurt badly, get off the travel lanes. Call 911.
• Let police document it. Whether it’s the Highway Patrol, a sheriff’s deputy or city police, ask for the report number before you leave. Here’s how to get a Missouri crash report afterward.
• Take photos before anything moves: the vehicles, the road, the other driver’s plate and insurance card.
• Get witness names and phone numbers. Holiday traffic means plenty of people saw it, and a lot of them head back to other states on Sunday.
• Get checked out, even if you feel okay. Adrenaline hides a lot.
• Stay off social media about the crash. A smiling photo at the dinner table the next day can end up in an adjuster’s file.
• Be careful with the other driver’s insurance company. You don’t have to give them a recorded statement the week of the crash.
• Pull out your own policy and look for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

How long you have to file?

Most Missouri personal injury claims must be filed within five years under RSMo 516.120. Wrongful death claims generally have three years under RSMo 537.100.

Five years sounds like forever. It isn’t. Witnesses forget. Store video gets recorded over. Cars get fixed or crushed. The legal deadline is years out, but the evidence starts disappearing the day of the crash.

So buckle up, line up a sober ride before the first drink, and leave a little earlier than you think you need to. The turkey will wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many crashes happened in Missouri over Thanksgiving 2025?

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 304 crashes, 82 injuries, 3 deaths and 87 DWI arrests during its 2025 Thanksgiving counting period, from 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 26 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 30. The Patrol says those numbers are preliminary and may change.

Does not wearing a seat belt hurt my Missouri car accident claim?

Under RSMo 307.178, not wearing a seat belt can’t be used as evidence of comparative negligence. It can reduce damages only if the defense proves with expert evidence that it contributed to your injuries, and the reduction can’t exceed 1 percent of the damages awarded. Product cases against a vehicle manufacturer follow different rules.

If the driver who hit me was arrested for DWI, do I still need to make a claim?

Yes. The criminal DWI case and your injury claim are separate. A conviction can punish the driver, but payment for medical bills, lost wages and pain generally comes through an insurance claim or a civil lawsuit.

What are Missouri’s minimum car insurance limits?

Missouri requires $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for bodily injury to two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage (RSMo 303.190). Uninsured motorist coverage is required at $25,000/$50,000 (RSMo 379.203). Underinsured motorist coverage is optional.

How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Missouri?

Most Missouri personal injury claims must be filed within five years under RSMo 516.120. Wrongful death claims generally must be filed within three years under RSMo 537.100.

Award-Winning Missouri Injury Lawyer Recognized for Excellence

At Mutrux Firm Injury Lawyers, our results speak through the voices of our clients and now, through the honors we’ve earned in the community. Tyson Mutrux is licensed to practice in Missouri, Illinois, and U.S. Federal Courts. He takes every case seriously, representing individuals in serious injury claims with precision and care.

A lawyer’s reputation speaks volumes about their ability to handle cases effectively. Whether you need legal representation for a personal injury claim, a car accident, a drunk driving crash, a truck accident, a catastrophic injury, or a wrongful death, choosing an attorney with a proven track record is essential.

Before Tyson Mutrux became one of Missouri’s most effective personal injury lawyers, he served in the U.S. Army as a Non-Commissioned Officer. He graduated with distinction from the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy and received the Army Commendation Medal for exceptional service.

The military taught him discipline, precision, and the importance of planning three moves ahead. Those same principles guide his approach to every case today.

Over the years, he has earned notable recognition, including:

• Selected for Super Lawyers (2024 – 2026).
• Best Injury Lawyer in Columbia, Inside Columbia Magazine (2025).
• Top 10 Car Accident Lawyers in Columbia, Trust Analytica (2024).
• Best Car Accident Lawyer in Columbia, Expertise.com (2023).
• The Nation’s Top One Percent of Attorneys, National Association of Distinguished Counsel (2015).
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• U.S. Army Commendation Medal.

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Hurt in a Thanksgiving Crash? Talk to a Missouri Car Accident Lawyer

If a holiday crash left you or someone you love injured, you should not have to fight the insurance company alone during an already stressful time of year. Mutrux Firm Injury Lawyers handles Missouri car accident claims from start to finish, so you can focus on your family and your recovery. We offer a free, no obligation case review, and you pay nothing unless we win. Contact us or call (888) 550-4026 any day of the holiday weekend.