Three are killed in separate accidents

POPLAR BLUFF - Traffic accidents in the area resulted in three fatalities and injuries Friday.

A Benton man died early Saturday when his vehicle left the roadway and overturned. Robert L. Keen, 78, was traveling south on Highway 77, four miles North of Diehlstadt when the accident occurred at 5:50 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Scott County Coroner Scott Amick. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

A Chaffee man died Friday evening of an apparent heart attack while driving in Cape Girardeau County, which also resulted in a one-vehicle traffic accident.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident, reported at 5 p.m. occurred when Stirling H. Boyts, 81, was driving south on State Highway 77 in Cape County, two miles north of Chaffee. His vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway and struck two driveway embankments before stopping. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Cape Girardeau County Coroner Mike Hurst. Arrangements are pending at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

Another fatality occurred Friday in a one-vehicle accident reported at 9:40 p.m. in Wayne County. Christopher E. Devore, 22, of Wappapello, was driving west on Route T in Wayne County, east of Route D in Wappapello, when his vehicle ran off the left side of the roadway and overturned.

Stephanie L. Caldwell, 33, of Zalma, was pronounced dead at the scene by Wayne County Assistant Coroner Alex Ruegg. Funeral arrangements are pending at Morgan Funeral Home in Advance.

A driver and four passengers sustained moderate to serious injuries Friday when they were traveling on Interstate 55 at New Madrid. Reported at 3:10 p.m., the accident occurred as Charlene R. White, 62, of Kokomo, Ind., was driving north and her vehicle traveled into the median. After White over-corrected the vehicle, it then skidded across the northbound lanes off the right side of the roadway and overturned before coming to rest on its top. White, who sustained moderate injuries, was taken by ambulance to Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston.

Tyler Greer, 13, of Hammond, Ind., who was seriously injured, was transported by air to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. The other passengers, Kyle R. Malone, 15, and Courtney S. Malone, 17, of Kokomo and Kirsten R. Powers, 13, of Ferguson all suffered moderate injuries. They were taken by ambulance to Missouri Delta Medical Center.

A Portageville woman was seriously injured in a one-vehicle accident reported at 10:20 p.m. Friday near Wardell. The reported states that the accident occurred as Gregory J. Fite, 33, of Caruthersville was driving east on Route BB in Pemiscot County, when passenger Wendy L. Estes, 25, of Portageville, fell out of the truck and struck the pavement. She was air-lifted to St. Francis Medical Center.