James M Smith of Benton, Iowa was killed on Thursday, July 5th 2018 at 9:34 am in Cooper County, Missouri. Smith is a 45-year-old man.
The crash happened here: 91.6 mile marker Interstate 70 Eastbound.
In the crash, Smith was a driver. The police described the crash like this:
**FATALITY CRASH, NEXT OF KIN NOTIFIED*** VEHICLE 1 [THE 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZ DRIVEN BY JAMES SMITH] WAS SLOWING TO A STOP DUE TO A CRASH THAT WAS OFF THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROADWAY VEHICLE 2 [THE 2014 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY DRIVEN BY THOMAS SEE] FAILED TO SEE VEHICLE 1 [THE 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZ DRIVEN BY JAMES SMITH] SLOWING AND STRUCK THE REAR OF VEHICLE 1 [THE 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZ DRIVEN BY JAMES SMITH]. VEHICLE 1 [THE 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZ DRIVEN BY JAMES SMITH] THEN SPUN OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK PARKED VEHICLE 3 [THE 2012 HONDA CIVIC DRIVEN BY NO NO DRIVER]. VICTIMS WERE PRONOUNCED AT THE SCENE BY COOPER COUNTY CORONER JAMES HURT AT 0938. ASSISTED BY TPR. A. M. RICHERSON (759), TPR. N. W. MARCH (762), CPL L. R. DANCY (1362) AND LT. D. L. CLARDY (62). THIS IS TROOP F’S 1ST AND 2ND FATALITY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY AND THE 31ST AND 32ND FOR 2018
Fatal Injuries
Smith's injuries were fatal. Smith was taken to Boone County Medical Examiner’s office.
Vehicle Damage
The police said the damage to the 2016 Chevrolet Cruz driven by James Smith was total. It was removed by Nash Towing. The damage to the 2014 Chrysler Town and Country driven by Thomas See was extensive. It was also removed by Nash Towing. The damage to the 2012 Honda Civic with no driver was moderate. It was also removed by Nash Towing.
How To Get the Highway Patrol Report
Trp T O Mitchell Major Crash Investigation Unit Sergeant G D Ward and Sergeant P W Meyers of the Missouri State Highway Patrol wrote up the report. The highway patrol assigned report number 180408718 to this crash. The highway patrol charges $5.75 for each certified report (certification required for court). But you can call 877-925-1969 to request a free copy of the report. The highway patrol is currently backlogged and they state on their website that you will have to wait 10 days and may have to wait an "extended period of time" beyond that for the report. Further, unless you qualify under the Federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act, the report you get will have important and necessary information such as photographs, social security numbers, driver license numbers, names, addresses and telephone numbers redacted or blacked out.
I obtained the information prompting this solicitation from the Missouri State Highway Patrol website.
Insurance Claim
Smith's family may have an insurance claim. A lawyer will maximize the amount collected from the insurance company. In most cases, family members can recover money for the loss of a loved one—even if a family member was driving. Getting a lawyer working on this case early will allow Smith's family to receive advice about preserving and gathering evidence and the value of their claims, which will help with the recovery. For More Information Watch How Much is My Wrongful Death Claim Worth?.
Talk to lawyer Burt True. Call 877-925-1969. Lawyer Burt True will answer the phone and your questions. What do you have to lose?
Photo credit: Missouri State Highway Patrol
