The Springfield, Missouri car accident attorneys hope you had a happy and safe holiday weekend! We've been writing regularly about the importance of defensive driving during this time of year: with so many holiday celebrations and so much holiday traffic, there's an increased risk of injury accidents throughout the period between Christmas and New Year's. We encourage you to remain vigilant as we move into the last week of 2011.
According to a press release from the Missouri Highway Patrol, three Missourians died in car accidents during the Christmas holiday counting period (beginning December 23 at 6:00 p.m. and ending on December 26 at 11:59 p.m.).
On Friday, December 23, a Springfield man was killed when he was struck by a pickup truck as he walked along High Street. According to Springfield Police, a car and the pickup truck were headed to the same location when they encountered 58 year-old Kenneth Winningham in the roadway. The car was able to avoid hitting Winningham, but the pickup truck was not. Winningham was transported to Cox Hospital, where he later died. The driver of the pickup was not injured, and the accident is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, two southwest Missouri drivers were involved in fatal accidents on Christmas day. In the first accident, 41 year-old Nancy Feldmeier of Lebanon was killed on Sunday morning in Pulaski County, about two miles south of Richland. Feldmeier was traveling north on Missouri 133 when she lost control of her car. She ran off the right side of the road and then overcorrected, running off the left side: subsequently, her 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix struck an embankment. Feldmeier was taken to a hospital and later died as a result of her injuries, according to the Highway Patrol. She was not wearing a seat belt.
The second accident occurred on Missouri Highway 7 in Camden County. 59 year-old Donna Miller of Camdenton was near Fiery Fork when her vehicle crossed the center line on a curve and collided with another vehicle head on. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle, Warren West, sustained moderate injuries, while his passenger, Tonya Kelly, suffered serious injuries in the crash. West and Kelly were wearing seat belts, but Miller was not.
Missouri Statistics: Christmas Weekend, 2011
- 213 traffic crashes investigated (last year: 487)
- 3 fatalities (last year: 2)
- 67 injuries (last year: 122)
- 56 arrests for driving while intoxicated (last year: 51)