14 killed on Mo. roads during holiday weekend

At least 14 people have died in traffic accidents around the state during the long holiday weekend, including a northwest Missouri man who was killed early Sunday in a one-car accident.

Eddie Hinkle, 47, of Hamilton, lost control of his car on a Caldwell County road about 4 a.m. Sunday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. His car went up an embankment and hit a tree. Hinkle was pronounced dead at the scene, the patrol said.

Kenneth G. Phelan, 71, and Justin Tedder, 12, both of Bonne Terre, were killed when Phelan’s car turned into the path of a pickup truck. Two other people in the car were also injured in the crash, which happened Saturday afternoon on U.S. Highway 67 in Jefferson County, south of St. Louis, the patrol said.

An Appleton City woman died Saturday after her car hit a ditch and overturned in southwest Missouri.

The Highway Patrol said a car driven by Raejean Thomas, 43, was headed north on a St. Clair County when it left the roadway, hit the ditch and overturned, ejecting Thomas. The accident happened about six miles south of Appleton City.

A 6-year-old boy who was a passenger in a tractor-trailer driven by his father was killed Friday when the truck went out of control on Missouri Highway 64 near Bennett Springs and overturned in a ditch. The driver was trapped inside the truck for more than four hours with his son, David McCollum, of Sweet Springs, who was pronounced dead at the scene, the patrol said.

Two pedestrians died near St. Louis on Friday. A woman crossing Interstate Highway 44 on foot at Interstate Highway 270 was struck and killed by a van Friday evening. The victim was identified as Darlene A. Kramer, 49, of Washington, Mo. And a man was struck in the northbound lanes of Interstate Highway 55 near Memorial Drive in St. Louis. He was not identified.

Noble J. McFann, 83, of Myrtle, died Friday after his vehicle crossed the centerline on Missouri Highway 142 near Thayer and struck two other vehicles.

Herbert Willis, 74, of Camdenton, was killed Thursday evening when the car he was driving crossed the center line on Missouri Highway 5 near Lebanon, sideswiped another vehicle and hit a pickup truck head on, according to the patrol.

Joshua Standeford, 22, of Oakville, was killed early Thursday when a pickup truck heading north on southbound Interstate Highway 55 collided with the car Standeford was driving, St. Louis police said.

Raymond Hartley, 22, of Holts Summit, and David Watson, 22, of Jefferson City, died early Thursday after the car Hartley was driving went off a Callaway County road near Holts Summit. The vehicle went down an embankment and overturned and both men were thrown out.

Althea Schmid, 34, of House Springs, was killed when the sport utility vehicle she was driving hit a tree along U.S. 50 near Loose Creek Thursday.

Editha Schwartzkopf, 39, of Princeton, died Wednesday evening following a crash on U.S. Highway 136 in northern Missouri, near Bethany. Schwartzkopf was driving east when a westbound pickup truck crossed the center line and struck her car, causing it to catch fire, the patrol said.

Last year 16 people were killed on Missouri roads during the Thanksgiving travel period, which runs from 6 p.m. Wednesday to midnight Sunday.