Highway patrol reports three fatalities over Christmas counting period

By NewsPress Now

The Missouri State Highway Patrol released the Christmas Holiday Counting Period statistics for 2024 and reports that there were three fatalities.

According to the MSHP report, “Three people died in traffic crashes during the 30-hour counting period, which began at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and ended at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 25.”

The three fatalities occurred during a crash on Tuesday, Dec. 24, a 28-year-old woman from Valley Mines, Missouri, and two juvenile males, a four-year-old and a six-year-old died when the vehicle traveled off the left side of Route OO, south of Route F in St. Francois County and struck a tree.

All of the vehicle’s occupants were safely restrained at the time of the crash.

The 28-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene by the St. Francois County Coroner.

The six-year-old boy was pronounced dead at Parkland Health Center in Farmington, Missouri, and the four-year-old boy was pronounced dead at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Troopers reported throughout the state that there were 65 traffic crashes, 38 traffic crash injuries, three traffic crash fatalities and 17 driving while impaired arrests.

“Last year during the 78-hour Christmas counting period, there were 1,034 traffic crashes statewide. In those crashes, three people were killed and another 346 were injured,” The patrol reported. “During the 2023 Christmas holiday, troopers investigated 124 traffic crashes which included two fatalities and 71 injuries. Troopers arrested 81 people for driving while impaired during the 2023 counting period.”

MSHP additionally reported that there were no boating crashes or drownings during this year’s Christmas holiday counting period.