In 3 Days, 3 Dead Become a No Seatbelt Statistic for Missouri Highway Patrol

Drinking and Driving, slippery conditions in rain, and trying to eat while you are driving all can cause major accidents on the roadways. By wearing your seatbelt, you can greatly improve your chances of survival should you be in a serious accident that causes your vehicle to overturn or crash into something. The Missouri Highway Patrol reported 3 deaths in 3 days where vehicles sustained unusual force of motion ejecting drivers or passengers. None of the victims were wearing their seat belts.

DAY 1- On November 21, 2009, at 4:35am in Butler County, Daniel Teasley, 41, of Wappapelo, Missouri was driving her car (a 2005 Ford) East of Poplar Bluff on US 60 when she ran off the left side of the roadway into the median. The car vaulted off a railroad overpass, then overturned and ejected her from the car. She was pronounce dead at the scene by coroner Brian Fugate and she becomes the 61^st fatality statistic for Troop E of the Missouri Highway Patrol for the year 2009.

DAY 2 - On November 22, 2009 at 3:00 am in Saline County, Mark A. Treece, 45 of Malta Bend, Missouri was driving his truck (a 1995 Ford F150) Northbound on US 65 almost a half a mile North of Missouri Road 240. According to Highway Patrol "It failed to negotiate a curve" and ran off the right edge of the road striking "a culvert and rotated clockwise." The vehicle "overturned, struck two farm tractors, coming to a rest on top of them." The driver was pronounced dead on the scene at 801 am by Saline County Coroner. Mark Treece becomes Troop A's 53^rd fatality for the year 2009.

DAY 3 - On November 23, 2009 at 12:45 am, Jakeb S. Burgess, 19, of Holcomb, Missouri was driving in Carter County on Route E, 1.5 miles west of Hunter. He was driving a 2005 GMC Truck westbound when he "traveled off the roadway, over corrected, overturned then continued off left side of roadway coming to rest on its top." There were two additional occupants in the vehicle, Jeffery S Dye, 36, also of Holcomb and Megan G Mixon, 22, of Kennett, Missouri, none of which were wearing their seat belts. Jakeb Burgess and Jeffery Dye were both thrown from the vehicle. Jakeb Burgess was the only fatality in this accident, while the other two sustained moderate injuries. Deputy Coroner Eric McSpadden pronounced Jakeb Burgess, dead on the scene. Jakeb is now Troop G's 36 fatality statistic for the year of 2009.

Source:
Missouri State Highway Patrol Online Crash Reports, http://www.mshp.dps.mo.gov/HP68/search.jsp