Highway Patrol reports five traffic deaths over Labor Day weekend

 

(From Missouri State Highway Patrol)

Five people died in traffic crashes, one person died in a boating crash, and one person drowned during the 2022 Labor Day holiday weekend. The Patrol investigated four of the traffic fatalities; Springfield Police Department investigated one traffic fatality. 

The 2022 counting period for the Labor Day holiday was from 6 p.m., Friday, September 2, through 11:59 p.m., Monday, September 5.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the following enforcement activity during 2022 Labor Day holiday:

MSHP Traffic Statistics (preliminary):

Crashes ¯ 276
Injuries ¯ 97
Fatalities ¯ 4
DWI ¯ 113
Drug Arrests ¯ 55

MSHP Boating Statistics (preliminary):

Crashes ─ 7
Injuries ─ 3
Fatalities ─ 1
BWI ¯ 5
Drownings — 1
Drug Arrests ¯ 8


(Note: During the 2021 counting period, the Patrol investigated 318 traffic crashes, which included 121 injuries and six of the 11 fatalities. Troopers made 109 arrests for driving while intoxicated last year. Also, over the Labor Day holiday 2021: Troopers investigated nine boating crashes involving four injuries and one fatality; and arrested four people for boating while intoxicated on the state’s rivers and lakes. There were no drownings over the 2021 Labor Day holiday weekend.]

Troopers investigated four of the five fatal traffic crashes over the 2022 Labor Day holiday weekend. Springfield Police Department investigated one traffic fatality. One fatal traffic crash each occurred in the Troop D, Springfield, MO, Troop E, Poplar Bluff, MO, and Troop G, Willow Springs, MO, areas. Two traffic fatalities occurred in the Troop F, Jefferson City, MO, area. The boating fatality occurred in Camden County on the Lake of the Ozarks, which falls in the Troop F area. The drowning occurred in Ozark County in the White River in the Troop G, Willow Springs area.

Drowning Incident

Ryan T. McGee, 21, of Moody, MO, drowned after wading into deep water on September 4, 2022. He went under and did not resurface. The incident occurred in Ozark County near Hammond Camp in the North Fork of the White River. McGee was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. Ozark County Coroner Gene Britt pronounced McGee deceased the next morning.

Boating Fatality

Tyler R. Elliott, 29, of Louisville, KY, drowned after exiting a vessel to go swimming in the Lake of the Ozarks at the four-mile mark of the Grand Glaize Arm in Anderson Hollow Cove, Camden County. He was not wearing a life jacket. Camden County Medical Examiner Steve Dougan pronounced Elliott deceased on scene.

Fatality Traffic Crashes

One fatality occurred during the holiday counting period on Friday, September 2, 2022. Steven R. Stafford, 25, of Versailles, MO, died when another vehicle struck the vehicle he was driving head-on. The other vehicle had passed several vehicles prior to striking Stafford’s vehicle. Stafford was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Morgan County Coroner Dr. M.B. Jones pronounced Stafford dead at the scene. The crash occurred in Morgan County on Missouri Highway 5 north of Missouri Route MM. The driver operating the vehicle that struck Stafford’s vehicle sustained serious injuries. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Three fatalities occurred on Saturday, September 3, 2022. Melvin L. Lewis, 75, of Fisk, MO, died when the vehicle he was driving traveled off the right side of the roadway, struck a driveway embankment, and overturned. Lewis was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Dr. Abusveih pronounced Fisk dead at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The crash occurred in Butler County on Missouri Highway 51 south of Broseley, MO.

A four-year-old juvenile from Rocky Mount, MO, died when the vehicle in which he was a passenger traveled off the right side of the roadway, struck a Chevron sign, and overturned. The juvenile was not restrained in an age-appropriate child restraint. Dr. William Cravens pronounced the juvenile dead at the scene. The crash occurred in Morgan County on Missouri Route W south of the Marvin Cutoff. The driver of the vehicle and a second juvenile passenger sustained minor injuries in the crash. They were wearing seat belts.

Kaylee Fields, 19, of Humansville, MO, died when the driver of the pickup truck in which she was a passenger lost control and drove off the road. The truck struck a utility pole, chain link fence, and a tree before overturning. Fields was riding in the bed of the pickup and was ejected. The crash occurred in Greene County near the intersection of Grant and Meadowmere in Springfield, MO. Another passenger in the bed of the pickup sustained serious injuries. The driver and a third passenger suffered minor injuries.
The Springfield Police Department investigated the crash.

One person died on Labor Day, September 5, 2022. William C. Chandler, 61, of Winston, GA, died when the vehicle he was driving traveled off the right side of the roadway, he overcorrected, and the vehicle traveled off the left side of the roadway and overturned. Chandler was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Carter County Coroner Joe Ben Chapman pronounced Chandler dead at the scene. The crash occurred in Carter County on U.S. Highway 60 west of Van Buren, MO.


NOTE: The fatality statistics in this news release could change if late deaths occur, if other departments report fatal traffic/boating crashes after this news release was published, or if a fatality is determined to be caused by a medical condition rather than traffic/boating incident.