An accident occurred on Atkins Road, one-half of a mile north of Route C, on September 15, 2023, at 8:58 PM, leaving one teen dead and another seriously injured. The Missouri State Highway Patrol, led by Trooper I.L. Kimball and Major Crash Team Investigator Trooper J.D. Conrad, investigated the incident.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident involved a 2002 Ford Truck driven by a 17-year-old male from Liberty. The truck was traveling northbound when it crested a hill and the driver lost control. The vehicle began to skid, traveled off the left side of the roadway, overturned, and struck a tree before coming to rest.
The driver, a 17-year-old boy from Liberty, was pronounced dead at the scene by Ray County Coroner Bartley Willim at 9:00 PM. The teen was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Another occupant, a 15-year-old male from Lawson, sustained serious injuries and was transported by Life-Flight to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO. He was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
This incident marks the 56th fatal crash and 62nd fatality in Ray County this year.
The 2002 Ford Truck was towed from the scene by R and L Shoemaker Tow of Rayville.
