BOURBON, MO (CRAWFORD COUNTY) – Three people were killed after a U-Haul truck experienced a malfunction on I-44 in Crawford County yesterday afternoon, according to information from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The crash happened on westbound I-44, near the 214 mile marker, at 4:54 p.m., when a 2019 Ford F-650 U-Haul experienced a malfunction. This caused the driver, 69-year-old Allan R. Bates, of Lake Worth, Florida, to lose control of the vehicle.
The U-Haul crashed into a 2015 Honda Odyssey being driven by 45-year-old High Ridge man Mark A. Polsak, then went over the median. The U-Haul collided with a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox head-on. The impact pushed the Equinox into a 2015 Ford Transit van being driven by 47-year-old Michael W. Semmens, Sr., of Geona, Illinois.
The driver of the Equinox, 23-year-old Frank L. Handley, of Janesville, Wisconsin, and his two passengers, 22-year-old Eve A. King, also of Janesville, and 19-year-old Ronald King, of Beloit, Wisconsin, were all pronounced dead at the scene at 5:29 p.m.
Semmens was taken to the hospital in Sullivan with minor injuries.
Bates and Polsak were not reported as injured.
This article is one in a series presented by OnderLaw to inform our neighbors about car accidents and traffic news across our city. It should not be interpreted as legal advice. However, if you or someone you love has been injured in an accident involving a commercial vehicle, we would like to discuss your case in detail. Depending on the circumstances, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your medical bills, your lost income, and other expenses. More importantly, the only way to hold trucking or commercial vehicle companies accountable or fix the root cause of many accidents is to enlist the help of an experienced attorney that has the possibility to effect change and can prevent this from happening to another family. Contact us today to speak to one of our compassionate St. Louis truck accident attorneys.
