Missouri Car Crash Fatalities Increase Over Labor Day Weekend

Car Crash Deaths Climb Above 2015 Fatalities

In 2015, there were 10 people killed and 504 people injured on the roadways in Missouri over the Labor Day weekend.  The Missouri Highway Patrol released statistics of the traffic crashes from Labor Day weekend resulted in at least 15 deaths according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. The following summary does not include deaths worked by other municipalities.

The official counting period began at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 2 and ended at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 5, 2016.

 Fifteen Fatalities Over Labor Day Weekend

Friday Evening-St. Louis County

A 35 year-old man was killed in St. Louis County in a two car head-on crash on Manchester at Jonclif Drive.  The MSHP said the incident occurred when a westbound 2005 Dodge Ram operated by a 30 year-old Hazelwood woman veered into the eastbound lanes of Manchester Road striking the 2005 Ford Focus driven by the 35 year-old Imperial man around 9:45 p.m.  A passenger in the Dodge Ram, a 35 year-old St. Louis woman was taken to Mercy Hospital with serious injuries.

Saturday Early Morning, Saline County

A  40 year-old Marshall Missouri man was killed when his vehicle left the right side of the roadway and struck a concrete bridge support, became airborne before coming to rest on its top in Salt Fort Creek. The crash occurred around 4 a.m. and it is unknown whether or not victim was wearing a seatbelt.

Saturday Afternoon Marion County

A two-car crash caused two fatalities and seriously injured another on US Highway 61, ten miles north of Palmyra around 4:32 p.m. A 73 year-old Laddonia, Missouri woman was driving a 2016 Jeep Patriot when she lost control, skidded off the left side of the roadway thus crossing the media and striking a vehicle head-on driven by a 53 year-old La Grange, Missouri man.  The elderly driver and her 74 year-old male passenger were both pronounced dead and the La Grange man was evacuated by air to a hospital in Quincy, Illinois with serious injuries.

Saturday Evening – Howard County

A single vehicle crash took the life of a 47 year-old Holts Summit man when his car exited the left side of the roadway and overturned on Missouri 5 west of Route 240.

Sunday Early Morning – Barry County

A 32 year-old Wheaton man was killed after his car ran off the roadway, struck a culvert, overturned and struck a tree. The driver was on Farm Road 1035, 5 miles east of Wheaton around 1:55 a.m. when the crash occurred and he was driving a 2003 Honda Accord. According to reports, he was not wearing a seat belt.

Sunday Evening – Bollinger County

A serious head-on crash occurred on Highway 91, approximately 3 miles north of Advance, Missouri. At about  5:30 p.m. a Chevy Equinox driven by a 31 year-old Marble Hill woman was traveling northbound and struck the front of a Dodge Journey traveling southbound on same highway. The driver of the southbound vehicle was a 79 year-old Advance man and his fatally injured 75 year-old female passenger also of Advance. Both drivers suffered “moderate” injuries, however passengers in both vehicles were killed. In addition to the 75 year-old woman, a 12 year-old passenger in the Equinox was killed.

Sunday Evening – St. Charles County

A semi-truck hit a 17 year old-boy who walked onto Interstate 70 westbound east of Bryan Road.  At the time of the incident, it was not clear why the 17-year-old O’Fallon youth was on the freeway.

Monday Morning- Gasconade County

A vehicle driven by a 16 year-old Overland, Missouri boy failed to negotiate a turn and went off the right side of the roadway. The driver over corrected causing the vehicle to cross the center line, go off the left side of the roadway and overturn at about 10:30 a.m. on Route C just east of Route B.. The driver was moderately injured but his passenger, a 24 year-old Leslie man was taken to the hospital where he later died. According to the patrol report, the victims were driving a 1986 Ford and may not have been wearing safety belts.

Monday Morning – Howard County

A 73 year-old Marshall Missouri man was riding his 2007  Triumph Rocket 3 motorcycle when he lost control, crossed the center line into the path of a 2002 Nissan Frontier driven by a 16 year-old Prairie Home youth. Once the vehicles struck, they both traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck a traffic sign.  The teenager’s injuries were listed as moderate while the 73 year-old man died of his injuries. Mid-Missouri saw three motorcycle crashes over the Labor Day weekend including this fatal crash.

Monday Evening – Blue Springs

A crash killed two children Monday evening on eastbound Interstate 70 at Missouri Highway 7 in Blue Springs.  A spokesperson for the Missouri Highway Patrol aid one drive has been arrested on suspicion of DWI. The driver who was arrested for DWI told investigators that he was distracted and looked down from the highway. He looked back up but it was too late to stop and his car slammed into one car and caused a five-car pile up.  Police said that a 7 year old girl and a 13 year boy were killed when a car struck their vehicle during the crash.

The two fatally injured victims were from Warrenton as well the other two seriously injured occupants in the 2015 Hyundai Elantra.  According to the MSHP report, five vehicles were involved in the 5-car pile up that began when a 2000 Cadillac Escalade overtook and struck the rear of the Hyundai Elantra thus causing multiple rear-end collisions. The Escalade was driven by a 60 year-old Odessa man.  According to the report, all drivers and occupants were wearing safety belts.

Monday Night, Lawrence County

A one-vehicle motorcycle crash claimed the life of a 43 year-old Verona man. The crash occurred when the motorcycle ran off the roadway ejecting the driver at approximately 8:45 p.m.

Monday Night- Stone County

Around 10 p.m. a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by a 26 year-old Galena, Missouri man crossed the center line and struck a 2014 Ford Taurus driven by a 68 year-old Gladstone, IL man.  The 24 year-old driver was killed and .the Gladstone man sustained minor injuries, while his 67 year-old passenger also from Gladstone sustained serious injuries. The crash occurred on Missouri 76 just 2 miles west of Reeds Spring, Missouri.

Missouri Climbs to 495 Road Fatalities

So far, Missouri has suffered 495 car crash fatalities this year on highways and interstates involving 453 crashes. In 2015, there were 866 fatalities involving 799 crashes.  At this rate, the fatality rate is about  2 percent higher than last year.

The 15 reported fatalities were deaths worked by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Other law enforcement groups such as Boone County reported an additional motorcycle fatality that occurred in Columbia, Missouri and resulted in 22-year old man’s death at an intersection.

 Crashes Caused by Negligence

After a motor vehicle crash, the term “negligence” can be confusing.  Negligence is “the failure to exercise the care that a reasonable prudent person would exercise in like circumstances”. Negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm. While all of the fatal and injury crashes listed above must be fully investigated for causes and contributing factors, often car crashes are a result of human driving errors that are frequently termed “negligent”.  Failing to be attentive while driving, failing to follow the speed limits and improper lane changes can often lead to devastating injuries and fatalities.

Each car crash is unique. After a car crash incident, victims and their families have a lot of questions. Initially, most individual’s reactions are shock. However, in the days and weeks following a crash, most victims and their families have the same questions: Why? and How could this crash have been avoided?  When someone has made a driving error that caused injury or loss of a family member, hiring an attorney is critical to ensure that you and your family’s rights to compensation through insurance is protected.

We represent seriously injured victims of motor vehicle crashes and families of those killed in car incidents.  The attorneys at The Cagle Law Firm know the time and resources that are required to recover from a serious car crash and the hardships families undergo when a loved one is lost due to a car crash.

Call of our attorneys for a free consultation, at (314) 276-1681