The State Highway Patrol says five people were killed and another 125 people were injured in Missouri traffic crashes over the 2017 Christmas holiday counting period.
The Highway Patrol had additional troopers on the road this weekend for Christmas travel.
The Christmas holiday fatality counting period began Friday evening at 6 and ended at 11:59 on Christmas night.
Troopers say 19-year-old Teagan Birdno and 21-year-old Matthew Landi, both of northwest Missouri’s Carrollton, died Saturday when the vehicle they were passengers in ran off the road, struck an embankment and a tree and overturned. Troopers say neither Birdno nor Landi were wearing seat belts, and both were ejected from the vehicle. The Carroll County Coroner pronounced both victims dead at the scene.
Troopers say 85-year-old Charles Terbrock of eastern Missouri’s Foristell died Saturday when his vehicle slid on an icy bridge, struck a concrete bridge rail and overturned. The incident happened on Highway 61 in Lincoln County. Troopers say Terbrock, who was not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Missouri Highway Patrol says Springfield Police investigated a deadly Christmas Eve crash involving a pedestrian. Troopers say 26-year-old Steven Mayer of Fair Grove was struck by a vehicle at the Kansas Expressway and Mount Vernon. Troopers say the vehicle’s driver was not injured.
The fifth fatality, which occurred on Christmas Eve, involved a Springfield man who had been in an earlier crash on I-44 near Mount Vernon. Troopers say 38-year-old Christopher Loch’s vehicle had been in a crash and was disabled on I-44, west of Mount Vernon in Lawrence County. The Patrol says Loch’s vehicle was then struck by another car. The Lawrence County deputy coroner pronounced Loch dead at the scene.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol also arrested 91 people for driving while impaired during the Christmas holiday period, and made 49 drug arrests.