A tragic accident occured just north of Lewistown, Missouri this past weekend. An 18-year-old cheerleader from Highland High School died Monday morning as a result of of injuries she suffered in a single car accident on Route H. The young female was immediately transported to Blessing Hospital in Quincy via Air Evac but the injuries were too serious for her to survive.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the young Missouri woman was a passenger in a car that was headed west on Route H. The driver of the vehicle failed to negotiate a curve causing the car to leave the roadway on the left. Although the driver of the vehicle somehow escaped uninjured, he was arrested for driving while intoxicated. The man was charged with a class C felony, second degree assault, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department.
Another man was arrested in connection with this accident. The gentleman that
supplied the alcohol to the minor involved in the automobile accident was arrested by the Lewis County Sheriff. This fatal accident was the 25th fatal traffic accident in the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop B’s precinct in 2010.
Unfortunately, as a St. Louis accident attorney, I see a lot of drunk driving accidents that end up fatal. What is even worse, oftentimes these accidents involve minors that should not even be drinking in the first place. In such circumstances, the injured party has a right to sue not only the drunk driver but the bar or individual who served the alcohol. This is known as a “dram shop” case. Also, depending on the circumstances, there may also be a valid claim against The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDot) if this curve where the car crash occured was known as a “dangerous condition”.
Highland High School cheerleader dies in one-vehicle accident; two arrests made, November 30, 2010, Quincy Herald-Whig.