A 50-year-old Missouri man is facing multiple felony charges after a horrific crash on U.S. Highway 63 on a recent Tuesday evening. Of all the car accidents in the area, this was the first fatal crash this year. The accident also claimed the life of another driver, and one person suffered critical injuries.

In a preliminary accident report, the Missouri State Highway Patrol indicated that the accused driver was southbound in an SUV when he allegedly crossed into the northbound lanes of the highway. A 79-year-old driver in a sedan apparently noticed the imminent danger and reportedly pulled off the roadway and parked on the left shoulder. However, the SUV continued across all lanes and apparently smashed into the stationary vehicle.

The report states that the sedan driver was killed on impact and one of his passengers, age 72, suffered injuries severe enough to justify being airlifted to a hospital. The other passenger’s injuries were minor and required no medical treatment. The SUV driver was also severely injured and transported to the hospital by helicopter. It was determined that the SUV driver was intoxicated, and he was apparently in possession of drugs.

The felony charges this driver will be facing include manslaughter, second-degree assault, methamphetamine possession and several counts of controlled substance possession. The surviving family of the deceased man and the injured passenger may pursue financial relief for damages incurred, as would be the case with similar car accidents in Missouri. To successfully navigate a wrongful death or personal injury lawsuit, sufficient evidence of negligence on the part of the other party must be presented in a civil court. 

Source: therolladailynews.com, “Jefferson City man arrested in fatal crash in Vichy“, May 20, 2015