No highway fatalities in Vernon County during holiday weekend, patrol says

Winter weather and accidents seem to go hand in hand. Add to that a major holiday such as New Year's Eve, things can get even worse. However, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that even though there were more accidents during this year's traffic counting period, there were only four fatalities, fewer than last year.

This year's counting period ran from 6 p.m., Thursday Dec. 31, 2009 to 11:59 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010, and during that time,"Troopers investigated 319 traffic crashes with 92 injuries and the four fatalities. In addition, troopers made 113 arrests for driving while intoxicated."

During the same counting period last year, there were 234 crashes involving 89 injuries and a total of 24 fatalities. MSHP public information officer Lt. John Hotz said some of those deaths occurred "after the counting period is over" but are the result of injuries suffered during the period. Also, some of the fatalities may have occurred during an accident "worked by another agency," Hotz said, so this year's number may rise due to those factors.

Two of the fatalities this year occurred in Bates County. According to the MSHP, "One person died in a fatal crash on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2010. David R. Bukaty, 24, of Butler, died when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving on the ice and snow covered roadway." Bukaty was pronounced dead at the scene.

In another incident, Larry E. Doyle, 51, of Hewitt, Texas, died when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving in the northbound lane of U.S Highway 71, just south of Miami Creek. The vehicle traveled off the right side of the road, down a steep embankment and overturned. The Bates County Coroner Gary Schowengerdt pronounced Doyle dead at the scene.

The last bout of bad weather to move through Vernon County had a minimal effect on local drivers. Since New Year's Eve, there have been several slide offs reported in the county and only two accidents occurring in the city of Nevada. Vernon County Sheriff Ron Peckman attributed the relatively uneventful traffic weekend in the county to the fact that "It wasn't the first snow: it's always the worst," said Peckman.

Nevada Police Chief Gary Herstein said, "It's been unusually quiet with a snowfall like this. We were really fortunate," that most of the snowfall came at night and most people stayed in. He also thought the powdery nature of the snow on top of the existing icy roads gave vehicles better traction than a wet snow. Herstein did wish to caution motorists of the possibility of more snow and hazardous driving conditions later in the week.