Tractor-trailer crash kills two
COLUMBIA - Two people were killed in a tractor-trailer crash Friday afternoon on Interstate 70 east of Columbia after their vehicle ran off the road and overturned in an embankment.
The wreck caused traffic to back up for several hours, leading to a three-vehicle collision nearly an hour later when the driver of one vehicle couldn't slow down for the congestion.
Firefighters with the Boone County Fire Protection District responded to the single-vehicle accident near the 136 mile marker at about 4 p.m. and found the tractor-trailer wrapped around a tree and partially submerged in water.
The driver, Clarence R. McMurray, 48, of St. Helens, Ore., and a passenger, Ronald Bramon, 55, of Goshen Ohio, were killed, said Division Chief Gale Blomenkamp.
According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, the tractor-trailer had been traveling eastbound when it ran off the right side of the road and went down into an embankment, overturned and stuck a tree.
Firefighters extricated McMurray, but paramedics could not revive him. It took 35 minutes to remove him because of damage to the truck. McMurray was taken to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:58 p.m. McMurray had been wearing his seatbelt.
Bramon, who was in the sleeper part of the truck, was then removed. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:10 p.m., according to the report.
Nearly an hour later, a three-vehicle collision occurred near Route Z when one vehicle couldn't slow down in time to stop for the heavy congestion, said Barbara Graham of the highway patrol.
The driver, Clyde Skaggs, 59, of Moberly, slowed his 1995 Ford abruptly for the traffic, causing the driver of a 2008 Toyota behind him to slam on its brakes.
The highway patrol said a 2001 Volkswagen driven by Aaron Adams, 22, of Columbia, then hit the rear of that Toyota, driven by Joshua Morrow, 28, of Kansas City, pushing it into Skagg's vehicle.
Two passengers in Adam's car, Keyara Sheets, 6, and Tatyana Sheets, 7, were taken to University Hospital for minor injuries. Skaggs and passenger Christopher Nations, 34, of Huntsville suffered minor injuries and sought their own treatment. Three passengers in Morrow's vehicle also suffered minor injuries and sought their own treatment.