Vernon Countians hurt in holiday weekend crashes

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that one person was killed in a traffic crash in Missouri during the New Year's holiday weekend.

The fatality Missouri troopers investigated occurred in the Troop D, Springfield area, on New Year's Day in Greene County. Joseph W. Russell, 31, died when the vehicle he was driving struck a 2002 Freightliner head-on. Both vehicles then traveled into the median and caught on fire. Russell was driving eastbound in the westbound lane of Interstate 44 just west of Springfield at the time of the crash. The driver of the Freightliner was not injured.

Greene County Medical Examiner David Black pronounced Russell dead at the scene. Greene County Sheriff's Department, Willard Fire Department, Brookline Fire Department, and Missouri Department of Transportation also responded to the scene.

In addition, Kansas law enforcement officials reported that three injury accidents that took place in the Bourbon County, Kan., area sent several people to the hospital during the past week.

A 1997 Ford pickup driven by 18-year-old Dalton Chadd, of Garland, Kan., was southbound on U.S. 69 at 3:08 p.m. Jan. 2. The pickup stopped to make a left turn at Eagle Road when it was allegedly hit from behind by an 18-wheeler. A trooper at the scene said the driver of the truck was not transported to the hospital.

Those injured include Chelsea Marie Poe, 18, of Bronaugh, Mo. Also sent to St. John's was 4-month-old Jeep R. Chadd, of Bronaugh. Dalton Chadd was transported to Mercy Health Center.

All the adults involved in the accident were wearing seatbelts and the infant was in a child safety seat, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash logs on the KHP Web site.

The pick-up truck was burned, but Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Brad Carpenter said he did not know the reason the truck caught fire. KHP said Monday the accident is still under investigation.

In a separate accident, Ashely Nicole Feagins, 19, of Uniontown, was driving westbound on U.S. 54 when her 2003 Jeep drifted into an eastbound ditch at 7:28 p.m. Dec. 31, 14.6 miles west of the U.S 69-U.S. 54 junction. The Jeep rolled twice, coming to rest on the driver's side, according to the crash logs. She was wearing a seatbelt.

In a third incident, two Nevada, Mo., teenagers were injured in a one-vehicle accident that occurred at 7 p.m., Dec. 29, about eight miles northwest of Fort Scott on Kansas Highway 7.

A 2005 Dodge passenger vehicle was westbound on K7 fail to negotiate a curve, struck a Kansas Department of Transportation sign, then struck a ditch, according to KHP crash logs. Kristopher L. Beard, 18, of El Dorado Springs, Mo., was driving and was not injured, the patrol said. Brandy N. Dick, 16, and Destiny R. Dick, 15, were transported to Mercy hospital.