Dump truck, pickup collide; two injured in Wednesday crash

Nevada Daily Mail

Two local men were injured yesterday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash on U.S 54 Highway at Deerfield.

According to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at about 1:30 p.m., a 1994 Ford pickup, driven by Robert L. Ellifrits of El Dorado Springs, headed west, slowed to make a left turn, when a dump truck driven by Oran Dirks of Schell City, also westbound, swerved to the left in an effort to avoid the turning vehicle but struck the turning vehicle. The pickup came to rest facing into a ditch off the right shoulder, and much debris was lost from a trailer being pulled by the pickup. The dump truck left the roadway, struck an embankment and overturned, dumping a portion of its load onto the ground next to the road.

According to the report, Ellifrits suffered serious injuries and was transported by air ambulance to St. John's hospital, Joplin, and Perry Dempsey, a passenger in Ellifrits' vehicle, suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to Nevada Regional Medical Center. Dirks appeared to be uninjured at the scene.