Six Missouri Road Fatalities Over Holiday Weekend

Potential Record Travel Weekend

AAA had predicted that approximately 103 million Americans would be traveling for the Christmas holiday weekend. There were 260 car crashes in Missouri, six people died, and 86 people injured. Troopers arrested 68 people for drunken driving and made 40 drug-related arrests. In 2015, there were five people killed in the same counting period.

This last weekend, there were six car crash fatalities in Missouri. This holiday weekend was preceded by a particularly deadly car crash weekend prior when the roadways were coated with ice for the first time this year, resulting in many serious injuries and multiple deaths.

Six Fatalities During Christmas Counting Period

As the counting period began at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 23, and ended at 11:59 p.m. Monday, December 26, 2016.

Friday, December 23, at approximately 10:30 p.m., a Ford truck crossed the center line of Farm Road 159 and struck a Buick sedan head on. The 27 year-old Springfield, Missouri driver suffered injuries while her 37 year-old Ozark male passenger later died at the hospital. Authorities stated they believed the 27 year-old driver may have been intoxicated and was arrested on charges of second degree manslaughter and felony driving while intoxicated. The driver of the Buick, a 32 year-old Springfield, Missouri man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Later that same evening, a 27 year-old Salisbury woman was killed when her vehicle ran off the side of the road, struck a culvert and overturned.

Saturday, Christmas Eve, a 30 year-old West Plains woman was killed when her Chevrolet S-10 ran off the roadway and overturned several times on US 63, four miles south of Willow Springs around 4:20 p.m.

At approximately 2:40 p.m. on Christmas Day, an 80 year-old man of Marshfield, Missouri was killed in a one-vehicle car crash on Route OO, west of Red Top Road in Webster County after his vehicle failed to negotiate a curve, went off the left side of the roadway and struck a parked vehicle.

The day after Christmas, a 65 year-old Texas man was killed when his vehicle ran through an intersection and struck a ditch on U.S. 160, 3 miles east of Doniphan around Noon in Ripley County.

Serious Injury Crashes in Missouri

There were five serious injury car crashes as reported by the MSHP on Christmas Day:

• At approximately 2 p.m., a Chevy Trailblazer traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned, ejecting two of the occupants. The 31 year-old Kansas City driver was seriously injured as well as a 10 year-old female passenger. A 12 year-old girl and an 11 year-old boy were also listed as injured.
• An 18 year-old Arcadia teen driving a 1998 Saturn SL4 failed to negotiate a curve and traveled off the road edge and the left side of the vehicle collided with a tree. She was seriously injured. The crash occurred on Missouri 21, north of Lacota Road in Washington County.
• A 39 year-old Miner, Missouri man was seriously injured when is vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned, ejecting the driver on County Road 484, west of Highway F in Pemiscot County.
• A 56 year-old Linn Creek man was seriously injured when his 2009 Moto Fino traveled off the right side of the roadway, struck a mailbox and overturned, ejecting the driver on Route Y at New Meadows Ave in Camden County.
• Several young people were injured in a one-vehicle crash when their 2004 Food F150 failed to negotiate a left curve in the roadway, travelled off the right side of the roadway and struck a fence and a tree. A 17 year-old South Carolina woman was driving and sustained moderate injuries. A 21 year-old Sullivan woman was injured and a 19 year-old Sullivan man sustained serious injures. The crash took place on Spring Bluff Road west of North and South Road in Franklin County.

When To Call an Attorney?

Attorneys at The Cagle Law Firm represent those seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes. It is imperative that you involve a personal injury attorney as soon as possible so that evidence can be retained and the appropriate investigations conducted.

Car crashes are not generally just “freak accidents” and are caused by an action or inaction. Head-on collisions due to drivers crossing lanes or driving down one-way roadways are particularly dangerous and often deadly. More often than not, there is a cause or several causes of a motor vehicle accident.

Just as each person is unique, so are the facts of each crash and their unique injuries. Negotiating with insurance companies after a serious injury or death is generally more than one can do on their own. One, after you or a family member has been injured, you are not in a the correct frame of mind to negotiate with an insurance company and two, honestly, it generally takes some time to determine the full extent of injuries and losses. Thus, you should not “rush” an injury settlement but should seek legal assistance before discussing your injuries with any insurance company.

You should seek the appropriate medical treatment in order to address your injuries and contact one of our attorneys who can walk you through the process. Hiring a personal injury attorney ensures that your rights are preserved and your need for compensation addressed. The primary focus of our practice are motor vehicle accidents resulting in serious injuries and wrongful death.

Call us toll free 1.800.685.3302, or locally 314.276.1681