PUXICO, Mo. -- A 35-year-old Puxico man was discovered dead Friday morning in a wrecked pickup truck he was driving along J Highway in Stoddard County. It is believed the accident took place around 8:40 p.m. Thursday night, Oct. 30.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Stoddard County Coroner Kenny Pope, a 1998 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck driven by Jacob G. Hemby reportedly ran off the roadway and struck a ditch on J Highway, five miles from the city of Puxico.
The truck was not discovered until Friday morning, at which time the coroner was called in. Hemby was pronounced dead at the scene at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 31. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the finding.
Hemby's death marks the 46th traffic fatality in Missouri for the year.