Snow and Ice Bring Fatalities to NW Missouri
Those Who Buckled Up Were Spared
The first accident occurred at 10 a.m. in Clinton County when 2 tractor-trailer trucks collided. Douglas R. Tomlin, 45, of Shawnee, Kansas was traveling Westbound on State Road 116 and Johnathon J. Willmon, 33, of Bonner Springs, Kansas was traveling eastbound. Tomlin lost control on the snow-covered roadway and crossed over the center line striking the south bridge rail of the Little Platte River Bridge. His truck jackknifed, causing Willmons truck to hit his trailer. Both trucks came to rest on their wheels on the bridge blocking both lanes of traffic. Willmons was pronounced dead on the scene. He was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident. The driver of the other vehicle was wearing his seat belt and refused medical treatment from on site medical crew.
The second accident occurred at 3:55 p.m. in Grundy County, Missouri when Steven J Hooper, 52, of Arlington, Texas was driving southbound on US 65. Hooper drove across a patch of ice and lost control of his Ford F-150, which crossed the center line and drove off the left side of the roadway. The truck rolled at least two times before coming to rest on the wheels. Because the driver was NOT wearing his seat belt, he was partially ejected when the vehicle rolled the first time, then he was thrown from the vehicle on the second roll. He was pronounced dead at the scene, located about 30 feet from the truck. His passenger, 21 year-old Kimber L. Jeenks, was wearing her seat belt and only sustained moderate injuries.
At 7:00 p.m. the third fatal accident happened in Gentry County. Jerry H. Atkinson, 53, of McFall, Missouri was headed southbound on the snowy Route EE when he lost control of his Ford Pickup, ran off the road and struck a ditch coming to rest on the driver's side. The driver was partially ejected form his truck and pronounced dead on the scene. Once again, this driver was not wearing his seat belt either.
All three counties are located within close proximity. Troop H of the Missouri Highway Patrol responded to all 3 fatal accidents, in addition to 3 more accidents that day which were not fatal. The 3 non-fatal accidents took place in Harrison, Caldwell, and Buchanan Counties and all listed drivers were wearing a safety device that may have been responsible for saving their lives.
Missouri State Highway Patrol, Crash Reports, http://www.mshp.dps.mo.gov
Published by Elle
Full Time Freelance Writer & Owner of NewsByElle.com - An all inclusive portal to the St. Charles, MO area and the greater St. Louis, MO area. DIVERSE BACKGROUND: US ARMY Vetran Real Estate - with cred... View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentIn the article above, IF YOU READ IT, it does not state that Mr. Willmon was ejected from the vehicle, it states that Mr. Hooper was ejected from the vehicle, the Missouri Highway Patrol Report is concerning Mr. Hooper and yes, he was ejected and was not wearing his seat belt. If we do not use these misfortunes to teach our children, then how will they ever learn. I have a 16 yr old new driver who takes these reports to heart and ALWAYS buckles up, and I'm sorry your loss had to be used as an example. My condolences go out to you and your family. But if I can save just one life by posting these reports, that is my hope.
According to Missouri Highway Patrol Crash Reports EXACT WORDS: "FATALITY ACCIDENT REPORT -- VEH 1 SOUTHBOUND ON US-65. VEH 1 DROVE ACROSS A PATCH OF ICE AND DRIVER LOST CONTROL. VEH 1 CROSSED THE CENTERLINE, WENT OFF LEFT SIDE OF ROADWAY AND OVERTURNED APPROXIMATELY TWO TIMES, COMING TO REST ON IT WHEELS. DRIVER WAS PARTIALLY EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE ON THE FIRST ROLLOVER AND COMPLETELY EJECTED ON THE SECOND, COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET SOUTH OF THE VEHICLE. DRIVER WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE BY GRUNDY CO CORONER TOM EADS AT 1643 HOURS. NEXT OF KIN NOTIFIED. THIS IS THE 5TH FATALITY IN TROOP H FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER AND THE 37TH FATALITY FOR 2009.
I really wish some people would get their facts straight when they are reporting things like death. Yes. it is a fact that my husband was not weraing his seatbelt. but it is also a fact that a seatbelt can't save your life when you are being crushed by a trailer weighing thousands of pounds. So he was most definitely not "ejected" This is ridiculous that I am trying to get articles together for my daughters and I am finding this crap that is borderline saying that this could have been prevented and was my husband's fault. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT PLEASE. Let me know when you actually get the right story.
yea we care about Steve hooper and it is not nice to make an example about him and his seatbealt