Five people died in traffic crashes over the 2013 Memorial Day weekend. Last year, nine people were killed during the three-day weekend.
This year, Troop E was not immune to tragedy during period.
There was one boating fatality in the region over the 2013 Memorial Day weekend that claimed the life of a Sikeston man.
According to reports, at 11 a.m. on Monday, 64-year-old Oscar Shannon of Sikeston was attempting to tie a rope to a tree from his 1969 Polar Kraft bass boat when he lost his balance and fell overboard. His body was located near a cluster of trees in the lake. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:01 p.m.
That marks the first boat fatality of 2013 for Troop E.
Another weekend crash led to a tragic ending for a Risco woman.
The crash occurred at 4:53 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, along Hwy. 162 just west of Hwy. 61 in Portageville.
According to the report, 93-year-old Alta A. Rader, 93, of Risco, Mo., was driving her 1992 Buick Park Avenue when it caught fire and drove off the right side of the roadway where she struck a fence. The vehicle became fully engulfed.
She was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:59 p.m. The report states that she was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
During the counting period of 6 p.m., Friday, May 24 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 27, 2013, the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated 274 traffic crashes which included 119 injuries and the five fatalities.
Troopers also arrested 129 people for driving while intoxicated. During the 2012 Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Patrol investigated 232 traffic crashes resulting in 95 injuries and five of the nine fatalities. Last year, 184 people were arrested by the Patrol for driving while intoxicated.
There was one boating fatality over the 2013 Memorial Day weekend. Troopers investigated seven boating crashes involving two injuries. There were no drownings. Troopers also arrested 18 people for boating while intoxicated over the holiday weekend.
During the 2012 Memorial Day weekend, officers investigated 14 boating crashes, which included six injuries, and zero fatalities. There were no drownings over last year's Memorial Day weekend. Twenty-four people were arrested for boating while intoxicated during the 2012 holiday.
Of the five traffic crash fatalities investigated by the Patrol, two occurred in the Troop C, Weldon Spring, area; two occurred in the Troop D, Springfield, area; and one occurred in the Troop E, Poplar Bluff, area. The boating fatality occurred in the Troop E, Poplar Bluff, area.
One fatality occurred on Friday, May 24, 2013. Kaitlyn R. Prater, 14, of Farmington, MO, died after being struck by a vehicle when she was attempting to cross Missouri Route 32. The crash occurred east of Maple Valley Drive in St. Francois County. The driver of the vehicle that struck Prater was not injured; she was wearing a seat belt. Dr. Kelly Hartel pronounced Prater dead at Parkland Health Center.
Two fatalities occurred on Saturday, May 25, 2013. Buck A. Haynes, 32, of Bentonville, AR, died after another vehicle struck his motorcycle from behind. Haynes was stopped in traffic, attempting to make a left turn. The crash occurred on Missouri Highway 37 north of Washburn, MO, in Barry County. Dr. Kibrella, of Cox South Hospital, pronounced Haynes dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle that struck Haynes' vehicle was not injured. He was wearing a seat belt.
Rader is included in this group as well.
Two fatalities occurred on Sunday, May 26, 2013. Devin J. Scholl, 24, of Camp Pendleton, CA, died when the all-terrain vehicle he was driving traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Both Scholl and his passenger were ejected. The crash occurred in Perry County on Perry County Road 444 west of Riverview Lane. Dr. Salmon pronounced Scholl dead at Perry County Memorial Hospital. The passenger sustained serious injuries and was taken by Arch helicopter to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, MO.
Augustus C. Dodson, 23, of Walnut Grove, MO, died when the vehicle he was driving ran off the roadway, struck an embankment, and overturned. Dodson was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. The crash occurred in Polk County, on County Road S 36th Road west of Eudora, MO. Polk County Coroner Roy Harms pronounced Dodson dead at the scene.
The boating fatality occurred in Mississippi County at the Robert Delaney Conservation Area on Upper Big Lake. Oscar L. Shannon, 64, of Sikeston, MO, died after he lost his balance and fell overboard while attempting to tie a rope to a tree limb. Shannon was not wearing a life jacket. His body was located near a cluster of trees in the lake. Mississippi County Coroner Terry parker pronounced Shannon dead at the scene.
NOTE: The fatality statistics in this news release could change if late deaths occur, if other departments report fatal traffic crashes after this news release was sent out, or if a fatality is determined to be caused by a medical condition rather than a traffic incident.