West Plains, MO. – An elderly moped driver was fatally injured during a three-vehicle crash on Tuesday afternoon near West Plains.
At 2:48 PM on March 28, the West Plains Police Department and the West Plains Fire Department responded to State Route K for a three-vehicle accident including a motorcycle and airbag deployments on vehicles. On arrival, Public Safety personnel located a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee with moderate front-end damage stopped in the eastbound lane of traffic. A significant distance behind the Jeep was a deceased female, identified as 67-year-old Judy Kay Barnes, lying in the eastbound lane of traffic. A 2015 Chevrolet Equinox was stopped in the westbound lanes of traffic with extensive driver’s side front-end damage; all airbags in the vehicle had been deployed. In front of the Chevrolet was a 2013 Honda PCX 150 moped laying on its side with extensive damage.
According to investigators, the Honda Moped was traveling eastbound on State Route K when it entered the westbound lanes of traffic and impacted the Chevrolet that was traveling westbound. The driver in the Chevrolet attempted to avoid the impact by pulling to the far-right side of the roadway and slightly off the road surface when the impact occurred. Barnes was ejected from the Honda moped landing on the eastbound lane of the roadway. The Jeep Grand Cherokee that was traveling eastbound on State Route K, directly behind the moped, impacted Barnes lying in the roadway.
Witnesses indicated the Moped had entered the westbound lanes and then swerved back into the eastbound lanes appearing as though it was attempting to pass a vehicle. The moped a brief period later, re-entered the westbound lanes impacting the Chevrolet.
All three vehicles were towed from the scene. Fairview School buses were re-routed to avoid the accident scene. State Route K was re-opened to all traffic at 5:03 PM.
