2 dead, child injured after fatal crash in Jefferson County

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. - The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) is investigating a fatal crash in Jefferson County that left two people dead and a child injured.

According to MSHP, the crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m. on Missouri Route V, north of Weathered Stone Drive, involving a Dodge Dakota and a Hyundai Elantra.

The crash occurred as the Dodge was traveling southbound on Missouri Route V and as the Hyundai was traveling in the northbound direction.

According to MSHP, the crash happened after the driver of the Dodge was traveling too fast for the roadway conditions.

At some point, the Dodge failed to navigate a curve to the left, causing the vehicle to partially travel off the right side of the roadway. After overcorrecting the vehicle to the left, the Dodge crossed the double yellow centerline and struck the front left side of the Hyundai.

The collision caused the Dodge to skid and slide on the roadway before eventually overturning and ejecting the driver, MSHP said. Additionally, the collision caused the Hyundai to travel off the right side of the roadway and briefly caught fire.

According to MSHP, the driver of the Dodge, a 26-year-old man from De Soto, and the driver of the Hyundai, a 30-year-old woman from Hillsboro, were both pronounced dead on the scene. A passenger in the Hyundai, a 3-year-old child, sustained minor injuries from the crash and was transported to a hospital for treatment.

According to MSHP, the child was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, while neither of the drivers involved in the crash was wearing one.