The highway patrol reports just one injury when as many as eight vehicles were involved in an Interstate 35 accident around 6:35 this morning in Clay County. Two of the vehicles were operated by drivers from Daviess County.
Taken to North Kansas City Hospital with moderate injuries was one of the drivers, 47-year-old Valerie Malott, of Lawson.
State Troopers report the crash occurred as vehicles were slowing in I-35 traffic and a vehicle driven by a Jamesport resident, 44-year-old Mitchell Flowers, attempted to slow but was unable to do so and swerved to avoid a collision with other vehicles described as stopped in traffic. His vehicle struck the rear of the one driven by Valerie Malott pushing it into other traffic which, according to the patrol, caused other vehicles involved to be pushed into each other. Flowers’ vehicle overturned into the median. A tractor-trailer, driven by 35-year-old Ronald Bumgarner of Pattonsburg, also went into the median but did not strike any other motor vehicles.
Five other vehicles were driven by residents of Lawson, Excelsior Springs, and Kansas City. Damage was minor to each of six vehicles. Valerie Malott’s vehicle was demolished. The vehicle driven by Mitchell Flowers received extensive damage. All drivers were using seatbelts.
