One of eight traffic fatalities across Missouri over the New Year's Holiday counting period was a truck driver from Tennessee who died in a Harrison County accident. The crash early Monday evening occurred in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35, nine miles south of Bethany.

The report was released on Tuesday by the Highway Patrol after notification of out-of-state relatives. The victim, 51 year old John Moss of Jackson, Tennessee was pronounced dead at the scene about one hour after the accident. The Patrol said Moss was southbound when his tractor-trailer left the west side of I-35, hit an embankment, and remained upright. A crash investigation team plans to do an accident re-construction at the scene.

Another holiday weekend fatality was in Chariton County. Thirty-four year old Jessica Diehl of Sumner died when the vehicle she was driving went off Route M and overturned. Eight people died during the New Year's holiday counting period from 6 o'clock Friday night to midnight on Tuesday. That compares to SIX traffic fatalities for the previous New Year's counting period. Troopers made 124 arrests for DWI compared to 90 arrested for DWI in the previous New Year's holiday period.