ST. FRANCOIS CO, Mo. (News First) – Eight people, including four juveniles, were injured in an accident in St. Francois County on Saturday afternoon. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident happened around 3:20 pm on Route K near Saffel Road when a 2016 Volkswagon Jetta driven by a 16-year-old juvenile from Ottumwa, Iowa attempted to overtake another vehicle on a blind curve but traveled in the path of a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by 29-year-old Andrew Mercer of Bonne Terre, hitting Mercer’s vehicle head-on. The impact caused Mercer’s vehicle to rotate and travel in the opposite lane, striking a 2018 Dodge Challenger driven by 18-year-old Dylan Fleetwood of Ballwin.
A 17-year-old Jetta passenger from Ottumwa, Iowa, received serious injuries and was flown to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis. Mercer also received serious injuries and was taken to Mercy Hospital South by ambulance. Three passengers in the Jetta — two 16 and one 17, all from Ottumwa, Iowa — received minor injuries and were taken to Parkland Health Center in Bonne Terre. Fleetwood and two passengers — 18-year-old Robert Simmons of Ballwin and 19-year-old Evan Stockton of Chesterfield — received minor injuries and were taken to Parkland Hospital in Farmington.
The Jetta and Cavalier were totaled in the accident while the Challenger received extensive damage.
The crash report says everyone was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
