According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop H crash reports, since November 1, the Missouri State Highway Patrol has responded to 8 accidents in Atchison County involving 11 vehicles, with one fatality and others with serious injuries. Those are only the accidents occurring on major highways that the highway patrol responded to. Due to the continuous inclement weather, there have been many more wrecks, as well as slide-offs that we have no reports for.

On November 29, 2018, a two-vehicle accident occurred on U.S. Highway 136, one mile east of Tarkio at 1:43 p.m. A 2000 Mazda Protege, driven by Austin J. Melton, 21, of York, Nebraska, was headed eastbound behind a 2006 International Dump Truck, driven by Michael B. Eaton, 30, of Tarkio. As the dump truck was making a right hand turn into a private drive, the Mazda began to skid and travelled off the south side of the roadway, sideswiping the dump truck on its passenger side and continuing on around. The Mazda struck the guardrail face and a post and came to rest off the south side of the road on its wheels. The dump truck came to a controlled stop in the private drive off the south side of the road.

Melton, who was not wearing a seat belt, received minor injuries in the collision and was transported to Community Hospital-Fairfax in Fairfax, Missouri, by an Atchison-Holt ambulance. Eaton, who was wearing a seat belt, did not report any injuries. The Mazda was totaled and towed from the scene by Top Secret Tow and Recovery of Tarkio. The dump truck received moderate damage and was driven from the scene. The accident was investigated by Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. M.R. Heits, who was assisted by Trooper T.L. Shupe, the Atchison County Sheriff’s Department, the Tarkio Police Department, and Atchison-Holt EMS.

On Tuesday, December 4, 2018, at 1:58 p.m a fatality crash occurred on Route N, six miles southeast of Tarkio.  Tommy D. Swisher, 51, of Wasola, Missouri,  driving a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero, was heading southbound on Route N when the vehicle traveled off the west side of the roadway. Swisher overcorrected and the vehicle returned to the roadway and began to skid, skidding off the west side of the highway and striking several large pieces of concrete. The vehicle overturned, ejecting Swisher. The Alero came to rest on its wheels facing north off the west side of the roadway and Swisher was found behind the vehicle off the west side of the roadway. Swisher, who was not wearing a seat belt, was transported to Community Hospital-Fairfax by Atchison Holt EMS, where he was pronounced deceased on December 4, 2018, at 1450 hours. The Alero was totaled and towed from the scene by Double M Towing of Rock Port.

The accident was investigated by Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper M.R. Heits, who was assisted by C.V.O. K.L. Shewey, the Atchison County Sheriff’s Department, and Atchison-Holt EMS. Though the report does not include this information, it should be noted that area wind turbine workers were first on the scene and performed CPR on the victim until emergency personnel arrived. We thank them for their heartfelt and commendable actions.