An off-duty police officer, Christine Miller, killed four people and injured one while driving drunk, resulting in a lawsuit against her and the bar that served her that night.

A deadly crash occurred when Officer Christine Miller left O'Leary's Restaurant and Bar after she had drank a "high quantity" of alcohol and drove her car into oncoming traffic. All four passengers of the vehicle were killed and the driver was seriously hurt sustaining a head injury, fractured ribs, liver trauma, lung contusion and contusions to the skull.

A wrongful death suit was filed by the families of the victims and the one sole survivor of the crash against Christine Miller (the driver) and O'Leary's Restaurant and Bar (the bar who served her the night of the crash). The suit accused Miller, 42, of negligence based on the allocation of drunk driving and driving on the wrong side of the road. The parents also sued the restaurant because its employees "knew Miller was intoxicated". The suit claims that bar workers continued serving Miller despite her slurred speech and unsteady gate and then did not stop her from driving or call her a cab.

Miller and O'Leary's Restaurant and Bar decided to settle the suit for $2.255 million dollars to compensate the families of loss and the surviving victim. Christine Miller agreed to pay a $255,000 settlement, with $45,000 going to each family. O'Leary's Restaurant and Bar will pay a $2 million dollar settlement, from which each parent will collect an immediate payment of $100,000 and a structured settlement for each child of $186,375.

Christine Miller is facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of second-degree assault for injuries suffered by the surviving victim.

Read an Article

Continue reading "Missouri Woman and Bar Pay $2.255 Million To Settle Suit In Crash That Killed Four" »

Grover Milam, 62 year old of Kirbyville, Missouri was killed on May 29th when a driver overcorrected and hit his car head on.

The accident occurred when the driver of the second car, Jodi Ebersol, 36 year old of Forsyth, Missouri ran off the side of the road on M76, two miles south of Forsyth. Ebersol then overcorrected, crossing the center line and striking Milam's car head on.

Milam was knocked off the road when struck and was ejected from his vehicle. Ebersol was also ejected from her vehicle after she ran off the road and overturned striking a tree.

Grover Milam was pronounced dead that the scene. Jodi Ebersol was airlifted to St. John's Hospital in Springfield with serious injuries. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Milam was wearing a safety device but Ebersol was not.

As required by state law, the surviving driver was tested for alcohol.

Read Crash Report

Continue reading "Kirbyville Man Is Killed In Head-on Collision Memorial Day Weekend" »

While driving northbound on highway 25, 65 year old Herschell D. Sloan crossed the center line, crashing head-on into a 2004 Buick driven by Pearl F. Thornton (79 year old woman of Gideon) who was traveling southbound on 25.

Collision ended in death for Sloan (driver of northbound vehicle) as well as serious injuries for other passengers in the vehicle who included his wife, 56 year old Carolyn S. Sloan and Shon White (41), both of Parma. The crash also resulted in serious injury for driver of secondary car, Pearl F. Thornton, who was struck head on by Sloan's vehicle.

Traffic on Highway 25 was re-routed for well over an hour as emergency vehicles and debris crowded the highway. Helicopters took Thornton and Carolyn Sloan to a Cape Girardeau medical facility for immediate treatment. Herschell Sloan was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the only patron in either vehicle wearing a safety device was Thornton.

Read the Crash Report

Read an Article

Continue reading "Missouri Crash Proves Fatal for Stoddard County Man, Serious Injuries for Others" »

Missouri Highway 5 head-on collision has left one driver dead and the other seriously injured. Missouri Highway Patrol Troop I responded to a deadly car accident Thursday around 2 pm on Missouri Highway 5. Driver Kathleen Matney, 48, Shawnee, KS, was traveling northbound in a 2010 Toyota SUV. William Hinkley, 64, Springfield, MO, was traveling southbound, and crossed the center line, hitting Matney head-on. Hinkely was driving a 1996 Lincoln Towncar. Matney was taken to the Lake Ozark Hospital in serious condition. Hinkley was pronounced at the scene by the Laclede County Sheriff.

Read the Crash Report

Read an Article

Continue reading "Highway 5 Crash Results in Death" »

An early morning crash on Wednesday, April 14, has left one man dead and the other seriously injured.

According to the highway patrol crash report, Larry Lowe, 39, Sedalia, was driving westbound on US Highway 50 when he crossed the center line, hitting Perry Finley, 53, Lamonte, head on. After the initial collision, Lowe lost control and drove off of the right side of the road. Finley was driving a 1993 International Tractor semi, which also went off of the right side of the roadway, overturned, and caught fire. Lowe was taken by lifeflight to University Hospital with serious injuries. Finley was pronounced by the Pettis County Coroner at the scene of the crash.

Read the Crash Report

Continue reading "Pettis County Crash Leaves One Dead, One Seriously Injured" »

ATV and Motorcycle crash leaves one teen in serious condition and another dead.

Late Saturday night, March 6, at 11:30 pm, two Pineville, MO teens were involved in a head-on collision of a motorcycle and an ATV. The 1988 Kawasaki 4-wheeler, driven by 17-year-old Cameron Bridges, was hit by a 2005 Kawasaki motorcycle driven by 17-year-old Michael Dutton. The crash took place on Bear Hollow Road, three miles southeast of Jane, MO.

Both teens were flown to Freeman West hospital in Joplin. Dutton was in serious condition and Bridges was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Read More

Read the Crash Report

Continue reading "Missouri Teens Injured in Motorcycle/ATV Crash, One Dead" »

Jefferson City Crash Leads to Highway Closing
A head-on crash in Jefferson City, MO temporarily closed Highway 30 on Saturday, February 13. Harrison Lane, 44, was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Highway 30 around 1:40 am. Virgil Isaak, 68, tried to swerve and avoid Lane, but began skidding, and hit Lane head-on. Isaak was taken to St. Anthony's hospital in Jefferson City, and Lane was airlifted to Barnes Jewish Hospital. Both were in serious condition. Both vehicles suffered total damage.

Read the Crash Report

Mt. Vernon Collision Causes Driver Serious Injuries
Melvin Owens, 71, was traveling southbound on MO Highway 37 in a 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup. Jose Rivera turned across the highway and into the path of Owens. Owens swerved and tried to miss Rivera, but still struck the front bumper of Rivera's 2003 Ford Windstar Van. Owens was taken by helicopter to St. John's in Springfield in serious condition, and his passenger, Frank Owens, 67, was taken by ambulance to Cox hospital in moderate condition.

Read the Crash Report

Joplin, MO Police Chase Leads to Injury for Driver, Occupant
Boyd Damet, 26, of Joplin, MO was trying to flee from the Joplin Police Department patrollers struck two other cars and injured himself as well as the occupant of his vehicle Monday evening. Damet, who cause for fleeing from police officers is unknown, was failed to stop at a stop sign while traveling on Mo Highway 66. After failing to stop, Damet, driving a 2001 Ford Mustang, hit first a 1998 Dodge Ram, driven by Bradley McCoy and then a 2001 Toyota Highlander, driven by James Felker. The drivers and occupants of those cars were not harmed. Damet was taken to Freeman Hospital West with moderate injuries, and his passenger, Marcayla Ackerson, 18, was taken to Freeman Hospital.

Read an Article

Read the Crash Report

Continue reading "Missouri Highway Crashes" »

Tractor Trailer Head-On Collision

According to a report in the Kansas City Star, a semi collided with a car on Missouri 210 last night. The northern Kansas City crash occurred around 11:15 p.m. near Northeast Kimbrall Drive. The driver of the car suffered potentially life-threatening injuries, and had to be freed from the vehicle, according to dispatchers. Dispatchers also said that one driver crossed the highway's median, causing the head-on collision.
Read More

A 30-car pileup on Saturday, January 16, left more than 30 injured and one 3-year-old child dead.

The crash occurred south of Kansas City on I-35. Bystanders said that the roads were incredibly slick, and that thick fog had made driving conditions difficult. Johnson County Med-Act ambulances sent five units to help assist with treating and transporting those injured in the crash. At least two-dozen people with less-serious injuries were transported to area hospitals on a bus. Eight suffered serious injuries, four of whom were transported to the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Read More

Wednesday, January 20, a car crash resulting from a driver failing to yield turned into a four car pile-up leaving four injured.

Joshua Schipper was driving a 2005 Dodge Ram eastbound on Route E in north-western Missouri. He attempted to turn left across the westbound lane, but failed to yield to an oncoming second vehicle. The second vehicle, driven by Lesley Amschler, hit the right side of Schipper's vehicle. Amschler was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe.

The initial crash between Schipper and Amschler spun Amschler's vehicle causing it to strike a third vehicle head on. The third vehicle was a 2001 Toyota Corolla, driven by Alyssa Montalbano. Montalbano's vehicle was pushed backwards into a fourth vehicle, a 1998 Ford Mustang, driven by Larry Brownlee.

Amschler, as well as Alyssa and Laura Montalbano were taken by ambulance to St. Joseph's west. Alyssa and Laura both sustained serious injuries in the accident. Salvatore Montalbano was taken by ambulance to St. John's Hospital. He and Amschler both sustained moderate injuries.

Read an Article

Read the Accident Report

Continue reading "Hannibal, Missouri Four Car Pile-Up Leaves Four Injured" »

On January 7, a driver who was trying to pass a car on a curve died in a head-on auto crash.

Jeremiah Nolting, 18, of Union, Missouri was driving west on Highway 50 Sunday evening around 7:30 when the Missouri auto crash happened. Nolting drove his 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass into the eastbound lane while trying to pass another vehicle on a car, and hit an oncoming eastbound Suburban head-on.

The 2001 Chevrolet Suburban was driven by Stephanie Dierberg, 39, of Beaufort, Missouri. Also in the Suburban were Kristen Dierberg, 14, and Jacob Carman, 14 of Beaufort and Union, Missouri, respectively.

Nolting, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene. All occupants of the Suburban were in serious condition.

Stephanie Dierberg and Carman were taken to St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur for their injuries. Kristen Dierberg was taken to St. John's Mercy Hospital in Washington, Missouri. According to the crash report, Stephanie Dierberg was wearing a seatbelt, Carman was not, and it was unknown whether Kristen Dierberg was wearing one at the time of the accident. All three were in serious condition.

Read the Crash Report

Read an Article

Continue reading "Franklin County, Missouri Head-On Collision" »

A man from Vanzant was hit head-on in a collision yesterday evening.

Monday night Michael Poch was traveling eastbound on Route CC, just west of West Plains, Missouri in his 1986 Mustang. At the same time, Michael Omara was driving a 1995 Chevrolet Suburban westbound on Route CC. Omara pulled into the eastbound lane to pass another car traveling eastbound. At that time, he hit Poch head-on, while traveling the wrong way in Poch's lane.

Poch was transported to Ozark's Medical Center in West Plains, Missouri. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol Poch was in serious condition, while Omara was in moderate and Jennifer Liles (Omara's passenger) only sustained minor injuries.

Poch's Ford Mustang was totaled, and extensive damage was done to Omara's Suburban.

Read the Article

Crash Report from Missouri State Highway Patrol

Continue reading "Missouri Head-On Car Crash" »

The A.W. Smith Law Firm recovered a $950,000 settlement for the family members of a woman who was killed in a head-on collision auto crash in southern Missouri.

Rhonda Martin, 36, was traveling southbound on Highway 63 in Jasper County when her vehicle was struck head-on by John Harris who was traveling northbound on the highway. Both drivers were killed in the incident; Martin instantly and Harris after the crash at the hospital. Martin and Harris had been going around a slight curve when Harris crossed the centerline.

Martin's family filed a wrongful death suit against Harris ad litem. An issue in the case was that Harris and his son had a farming partnership, with the insured name "John and Michael Harris." There was conflicting evidence regarding whether this indicated a farming partnership or a family farm operation. Furthermore, the parties disputed whether or not Harris was on an errand for the partnership at the time of the crash. The suit ended with a $950,000 settlement; $850,000 was given to Martin's daughter and $100,000 to Martin's mother.

Continue reading "Jasper County Wrongful Death Settlement from a Head-On Collision Auto-Crash" »