Five people died on Missouri’s highways during the more than three-day New Year’s holiday period.

Missouri_Highway_PatrolThe state Highway Patrol says all five were traffic fatalities. The patrol worked 235 traffic crashes over that period and arrested 109 people for driving while intoxicated. The patrol counted no drowning deaths during that period though significant flooding continues in several parts of the state. Seven people drowned during the Christmas counting period the previous week, due to drivers trying to cross flooded roads.

Last year in more than four days there were no fatalities over the New Year holiday period but more than 100 more crashes, with 90 arrests for driving while intoxicated.

The patrol says those numbers could change if reports of additional accidents or fatalities come in.

Two fatalities occurred Saturday night on Calvey Creek Road in Jefferson County. Few details of that crash have been released. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the lone vehicle in the crash caught fire and has slowed identification of the two people killed. A third person was seriously injured and flown to a hospital.

88-year-old William Marr of Forsyth was killed yesterday when a vehicle crossed the center line of Highway 160 west of his hometown and collided head-on with his car. Marr was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Summersville woman, 32-year-old Samantha Devol, died when the vehicle she was driving collided head-on with another, on Highway 63 in Phelps County.

43-year-old Don Watson of St. James died when his vehicle left Highway 68 north of Salem, hit two road signs, rolled, and hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene.