Personal Injury Law

One Dead, Four Injured in Car Crash North of Troy, Missouri

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Mary Hatch, 73, of Louisiana, Missouri was killed and four others were injured Tuesday morning in a three-car accident on Highway 61 north of Troy.

The investigating officer said the driver of the 2001 Oldsmobile Hatch was riding in swerved to avoid hitting a 2001 Ford Focus that was also traveling north on the highway. The vehicles still collided and the Oldsmobile continued off the roadway, overturned and hit a third vehicle parked on Tickridge Road, just off the highway.

Hatch was pronounced dead after being airlifted to St. John?s Hospital in Creve Coeur. Another passenger in the Oldsmobile, Jessica Wharton, 20, was also taken by helicopter to St. John?s with serious injuries. The driver, Darrell Wright, 26, and a young passenger, Haley Wright, 2, were injured and taken by ambulance to St. Joseph?s West Hospital in Lake St. Louis. The driver of the Focus, Bruce Watson, 58, suffered minor injuries according to the highway patrol.

The highway patrol report does not indicate why Wright had to swerve to avoid hitting Watson?s vehicle or if either driver was at fault. Under Missouri law, any traffic fatality will require an accident reconstruction to be performed by the Missouri Highway Patrol. Police will take information from each vehicle's data recorders, measure skid marks, and locate debris to determine how this crash happened.

If you have been involved in an injury accident, after exchanging insurance information and obtaining medical treatment, it is wise to consult with a personal injury attorney who will be able to organize an accident reconstruction and handle every other aspect of the case. In many instances, our law firm will decide a particular case does not warrant a lawyer's involvement, especially if the damages are minimal. In those cases, we offer free advice on how to pursue your claim by yourself. In more complex cases or cases with substantial injuries, however, retaining an experienced personal injury lawyer will be necessary.

The Bradley Law Firm has over 30 years of experience handling complicated injury accident cases. Contact us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one has been involved in an accident in Missouri or Illinois.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on June 18, 2008 (boomark / email).