Fourteen die in Missouri during Labor Day Weekend

Ten people died in traffic crashes during the 2011 Labor Day holiday weekend. Last year, there were also 10 fatalities. From 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 2, through 11:59 p.m., Monday, Sept. 5, the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated 259 traffic crashes, which included 135 injuries and nine of the 10 fatalities. Columbia Police Department investigated one fatality. Troopers made 175 arrests for driving while intoxicated in 2011, compared to 190 arrests last year.

In Nevada, a non-injury accident took place at Wal-Mart, between a car driven by Lynn Sheridan, Sheldon and a car owned by Richard A. Lapinski of Westfield, Ind.; and on Saturday, a non-injury accident occurred at Washington and Atlantic, involving an SUV driven by Alton A. Moray of Prairie Village, Kan., and a car driven by Stephanie Stone of Nevada.

In addition to the traffic fatalities, here were two boating fatalities over the 2011 Labor Day holiday in Missouri Troopers investigated 14 boating crashes involving six injuries. Two people drowned in Missouri's waterways.

Troopers also arrested 19 people for boating while intoxicated over the weekend.

Five fatalities occurred on Saturday, Sept. 3,

Timothy M. Chavez, 19, of Ashland, Mo., died when the vehicle he was driving drove off the right side of the roadway and he overcorrected. The vehicle then drove off the left side of the roadway and struck a utility pole., in Boone County on Missouri Route MM. Dr. Rieke pronounced Chavez dead at the scene. A passenger in the vehicle suffered moderate injuries. Neither were wearing a seat belt.

Lennice R. Lucas, 47, of Neosho, Mo., died when he lost control of the motorcycle he was driving, ran off the left side of the roadway, and struck cable barriers, in Jackson County on Interstate 70 west of Adams Dairy Parkway. Lucas was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Jackson County Medical Examiner Shaun Hachinsky pronounced Lucas dead at the scene.

Daniel E. Branham, 47, of Aurora, Mo., died when the car in which he was a passenger ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree, in Barry County on Farm Road 1065 south of Aurora. Dr. Brian Tibbs pronounced Branham dead at St. Johns Hospital in Springfield, Mo. The other passenger in the vehicle suffered serious injuries. Neither passenger was wearing a seat belt. The driver of the vehicle was wearing a seat belt and was not injured in the crash.

Jesus G. Carreno, 65, of Cameron, Mo., died when he lost control of the tractor he was driving, and was ejected prior to the tractor overturning on top of him. The tractor then came to rest on its wheels, in Clinton County on 292nd Street southeast of Cameron, Mo.

David T. McBride, 26, died when the vehicle in which he was a passenger veered off the roadway, struck a curb and then a telephone pole. The vehicle then slid on its top 75 feet before coming to rest.on Blue Ridge Road in Columbia, Mo. The Columbia Police Department investigated this fatality.

Two fatalities occurred on Sept. 4. Brittany R. Shinn, 21, of Shelbina, Mo., and Nicholas D. Spilker, 25, of Bethel, Mo., died when the vehicle Shinn was driving failed to negotiate a curb and ran off the right side of the road. The vehicle then returned to the road, skidded off the left side of the road, struck a ditch, and overturned several times, ejecting both Shinn and Spilker. Monroe County Deputy Kent Hanshew pronounced both the driver and the passenger deceased at the scene of the crash. in Monroe County on Missouri Route V north of Stoutsville, Mo. Neither Shinn nor Spilker were wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Three people died on Labor Day, Sept. 5. Robert N. Hughey, 54, of Galena, Kan., died when he tried to avoid a deer lying in the roadway. He lost control of the vehicle, it overturned, and he was ejected, on Missouri Highway 166 west of Joplin, Mo. Jasper County Coroner Rob Chappel pronounced Hughey dead at the scene. Hughey was not wearing a seat belt. A passenger in his vehicle suffered moderate injuries in the crash. She was wearing a seat belt.

Taylor N. Thompson, 17, of Hermann, Mo., died when the vehicle she was driving crossed the center line and struck another vehicle head on. The crash occurred in Montgomery County on Missouri Highway 19 south of Porters Road. Dr. Nelson at University Hospital in Columbia, Mo., pronounced Thompson dead. Thompson was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. The driver of the vehicle Thompson's vehicle struck was not injured; he was wearing a seat belt.

Jared R. Witt, 23, of Brumley, Mo., died when the vehicle he was driving ran off the roadway and he overcorrected. His vehicle then traveled off the left side of the road, and struck a fence and telephone pole. The crash occurred in Miller County on Missouri Highway 42 east of Crestwood Road. Miller county Coroner Rick Callahan pronounced Witt dead at the scene. Witt was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Both boating fatalities occurred in the Troop F area. One person drowned in the Troop A area, and one person drowned in the Troop F area.

The boating fatalities occurred on Sept. 4, on the Osage River at the Bonnots Mill Access. The vessel Christopher F. Winkler, 33, of Jefferson City, struck the bow of a second vessel, traveled over the second vessel and a third vessel. The second and third vessel were anchored mid channel at the time of the crash. The occupant of the second vessel, Curtis

Libbert, 33, of Tebbetts, Mo., was pronounced dead at the scene by Osage County Coroner Lois Jaegers after water recovery was made. One occupant of the third vessel, Alvin T. Blackford, 46, of Russellville, Mo., pronounced dead at the scene by Jaegers after water recovery was made. One occupant in the third vessel suffered moderate injuries; two additional occupants suffered serious injuries in the crash. Winkler sustained minor injuries in the crash; he was using a safety device. The occupants of the second and third vessel were not using safety devices.

Two people drowned on Sept. 4, Julio C. Mendoza, 22, of Kansas City, Kan., was swimming across Swim Beach Cove on Camp Branch, which is located on Smithville Lake, when he began to struggle. Mendoza went under the water and did not resurface. Mendoza was not wearing a safety device.

Alton Mos, 93, of Kansas City, Mo., was last seen fishing on his dock at the Lake Of The Ozarks. His hat was seen floating near the dock. The Missouri State Highway Patrol Dive Team located Mos' body.