1 airlifted from Hwy. 25 wreck

A Dexter woman sustained serious injuries in a one-vehicle accident on Highway 25, four miles south of her hometown Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 38-year-old Christina Kirkman was northbound in a 2000 Grand AM GT Pontiac when her vehicle crossed the centerline and exited the west side of Highway 25. Her car hit a culvert and came to rest in a gravel area at the site of an Ameren UE sub-station.

Kirkman was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the wreck, and was trapped in the vehicle. Dexter Fire Department's extrication team worked for several minutes to free the woman from the wreckage while Stoddard County EMS stabilized her at the scene.

The accident occurred just after 3:30 Wednesday afternoon. An air evac unit was summoned to transport Kirkman to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau for treatment. North and southbound traffic was held up for several minutes to allow the helicopter to land on the highway in close proximity to the scene of the accident.

Responding to the scene were the Highway Patrol, Stoddard County EMS, and Stoddard County Sheriff's deputies, along with Dexter Fire Department's extrication team.