Darrell Todd Maurina

Jack's Towing personnel remove a pickup following a wreck in Buckhorn.

PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Sept. 10, 2009) — Four separate wrecks injured six people and totaled three vehicles on Wednesday and Thursday in and near Pulaski County, many of which were complicated by rainy weather conditions.

Wednesday’s first wreck happened east of the Phelps-Pulaski county line. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Charles H. Clay, 19, of Rolla, had been westbound on Interstate 44 12 miles west of Rolla when he lost control of his 1996 Chevrolet S-10 pickup at 9:10 a.m. on wet pavement, ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a highway sign, then continued a short distance before striking some trees and coming to rest. Clay, who had been wearing his seat belt, suffered minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the crash scene; his pickup was totaled and removed by Jack’s Towing.

Waynesville firefighters assisted at the crash scene.

A few hours later and just across the county line on the opposite end of Pulaski County, Hazelgreen firefighters responded to a one-car wreck on Interstate 44 in Laclede County 13 miles east of Lebanon. State troopers reported that Robert L. Shields, 31, of Lebanon, had been eastbound in a 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix at 11:42 a.m. when he attempted to slow down and change lanes, lost control, slid off the left side of the roadway, struck a guard rail, came back onto the roadway, slid off the right side of the roadway, struck another guard rail, crossed the roadway again, and came to rest against a guard rail off the left side of the road.

Shields and his two passengers, Bill Fell, 37, and Craig K. Garrels, 57, all of Lebanon, all suffered minor injuries. Shields said he would seek medical treatment later but his two passengers were both transported by St. John’s Ambulance personnel to St. John’s Hospital in Lebanon for treatment. All three had been wearing their seat belts.

Shields’ car was extensively damaged and removed by Steve’s Towing of Lebanon.

Shortly after midnight Thursday, emergency personnel responded to a wreck of a 1999 Volvo Conversional when Gregory W. Johnson, 51, of Baldwin Park, Calif., had been eastbound on Interstate 44 at mile marker 155 in Waynesville, ran off the left side of the roadway at 12:30 a.m., struck the median cables, ran off the right side of the roadway, and jackknifed.

Johnson, who had been wearing his seat belt, was not hurt, but his passenger, Raymond Prieto, 72, also of Baldwin Park, was not belted and suffered minor injuries. Prieto was transported to St. John’s Hospital in Lebanon by Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel for treatment. The vehicle was removed by Jack’s Towing.

At 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Daniel D. Zornes, 18, of Waynesville, was southbound on Highway 17 a fifth of a mile south of Buckhorn when he made a left-hand turn in his 1995 Dodge Stratus and struck a 2004 Ford Ranger in the right side driven by Glen J. Arrington Jr., 59, also of Waynesville, who had been northbound on the same road. Both vehicles then ran off the roadway before stopping.

Both vehicles were totaled and removed by Jack’s Towing. Arrington wasn’t hurt but Zornes suffered minor injuries and was transported by Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. Both had been wearing their seat belts.

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