To be honest, I cannot see what the point of this is: Missouri media organizations sue highway patrol over crash records:
Four media organizations, including the Missouri Broadcasters Association and Missouri Press Association, have filed a lawsuit against the Missouri State Highway Patrol alleging the patrol’s redacted crash reports violate Missouri’s open records law.
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The petition states that beginning in 2024, the patrol has redacted names, addresses, phone numbers and other identifiable information in crash reports received through Sunshine Law requests.The Highway Patrol began redacting personal information in online crash reports on Nov. 1, 2024, citing concerns that making that information public could lead scammers to target family members of victims. KOMU 8 News reported at the time that the Highway Patrol said the change would only apply to online preliminary crash reports.
They say that their subscribers (a dwindling number, ainna?) want to know if their neighbors died in a car crash. And, to be honest, I can understand. The accident described in the story One person dies in crash involving deer, three vehicles near Nixa could be someone I know. One of my son’s school friends lives out that direction, and it’s on the way home for many people in our BJJ school and would be about the time somebody would be going home from the 5:00am classes.
But, you know what? If I need to know, someone will tell me. I don’t need The Press to push all the deets out for everyone to see.
