The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published July 12, 2017

One fatality over holiday

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – There was one fatality over the holiday period on the road and none on the water, but two drownings did occur after the holiday period, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP).

The first drowning took place on July 6 around 5:46 p.m. at the 16MM of the Big Niangua.

According to the MSHP, Ruth Claussen, 87, of Camdenton, MO, suffered an unknown medical issue and fell into the water. She was located face down near the dock.

Another mysterious drowning happened on July 8 on Weems Drive in Morgan County.

The MSHP said that Connor Mohr, 25, of Overland Park, KS, was fishing from a dock when he was reported missing. He was located near the dock after a brief search and was pronounced dead by Morgan County Coroner Maynard Jones.

This was the first and second drowning for the month of July for Troop F.

Just last month another drowning due to unknown circumstances happened at the 26 Mile Marker (MM) of the Osage Arm around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday June 27.

According to the MSHP, E D Smith, 75, of St. Charles, MO, suffered some type of medical issue and fell into the water. He was located face down near a sea wall and was pronounced dead at the scene by Camden County Coroner Wendy Prior.

The holiday period for accidents began on June 30 and went through July 4 and the lake area suffered one fatality during that time.

The fatality occurred on July 3 around 12:49 p.m. when a Kawasaki UTV, driven by Martin Callaghan, 57, of Versailles, was driving north on Lake Road W-1 about a half-mile south of Fresno Road in Morgan County.

According to the MSHP, the crash occurred when the vehicle crossed the centerline and traveled off the left side of the road, struck a bridge support and slid down an embankment where the driver was ejected.

Callaghan was pronounced dead at the scene by Morgan County Coroner M.B. Jones. The MSHP said he was not wearing a safety device.

Even though this was the only fatality on the roads, there were several accidents that left people injured over the holiday period.

On July 2 around 2:00 a.m., a 2013 Kia Sorento, driven by Ashley Rodroguez-Pazo, 31, of Oak Grove, MO, was westbound on Coffman Beach Rd just west of Route Y in Morgan County when she ran off the right side of the road, traveled down an embankment and struck a ditch.

She suffered minor injuries and was taken to Lake Regional Hospital. She was wearing a safety device.

That same morning around 3:45 a.m. in Miller County, a near collision with a deer sent two people to the hospital.

A Chevy Malibu, driven by Timothy Mackenzie, 24, from Brumley, MO, was Eastbound on Route 42 just east of Route 132 when he swerved to avoid a deer and went off the right side of the road and struck a tree.

He suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Lake Regional Hospital. A passenger in the vehicle, Sara Hollandsworth, 22, also of Brumley, MO, suffered serious injuries and was also taken to Lake Regional Hospital. According to the MSHP neither of them was wearing a safety device.

Later that same day around 8:55 p.m., an accident involving a 2014 Polaris Razor 900, driven by Andrew Copeland, 21, of Bettendorf, IA, occurred.

According to the MSHP, Copeland was westbound on Great Lake View Drive four miles south of Laurie, MO, traveling at a “high rate of speed” when the Polaris ran off the right side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned several times ejecting the driver.

He suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Lake Regional Hospital. The MSHP said he was not wearing a safety device.

On July 3 a collision sent a 15-year-old female from Roach, MO to Lake Regional Hospital with minor injuries.

The MSHP said the crash happened on Highway 54 at Route AA when a 1999 Chevrolet Prism, driven by Angela Isbell, 42, of Roach, MO, failed to negotiate a curve and struck a 2003 Toyota Tacoma, driven by Steven March, 70, also of Roach, MO in the side. All three were wearing safety devices.

On July 4 a single vehicle accident occurred in Morgan County sending the driver to Lake Regional Hospital with minor injuries.

A 2000 Honda Accord, driven by Dawn Parks, 41, of Belleville, IL, was eastbound on Red Hollow Road east of Twin Bays Road around 7:29 p.m. when she traveled off the right side of the road and hit a utility pole and came to rest in the roadway. She was wearing a safety device.

According to the MSHP she was charged with Driving while Intoxicated, Prior Offense and Fail to Drive on the Right Half of Road along with no insurance. She was released for medical treatment.

That same night around 9:10 p.m. in Camden County, a man was injured while driving an ATV.

A 1986 Honda ATV driven by Allen Wright, 49, of Camdenton, MO, was on private property off of Runabout Road when the vehicle suffered a mechanical failure and Wright “voluntarily exited the vehicle.”

He received moderate injuries and was taken by private vehicle to Lake Regional Hospital. The MSHP said he was not wearing a safety device.

On the water, a Rocky Mount, MO, man suffered moderate injuries in a Personal Watercraft (PWC) incident.

Around 2:20 p.m. on July 2 a 2015 Bombardier PWC was parked at the 2.5MM of the Osage arm when the vehicle and the operator, Andrew Miller, 24, was hit by a wave knocking Miller from the PWC. He received moderate injuries and was taken to Lake Regional Hospital. He was wearing a safety device.

Another accident involving a PWC occurred later that day at 5:50 p.m. at the 10.6MM of Crane Cove.

Brian Effertz, 42, of Overland Park, MO, was operating a Zapato Flyboard that was being towed by a 2007 Seadoo driven by Tracey Hoffman, 45 of Leawood, KS.

According to the MSHP report, Hoffman was controlling the throttle and Effertz lost his balance and fell on top of the PWC from a height of 10-12 feet. Effertz suffered serious injuries and was flown by Staff for Life to University Hospital.

The final injury (during the holiday period) on the water occurred on July 3 and also involved a PWC.

A 2004 Yamaha PWC operated by Faith Lockett, 26, of Harrisonville, MO, was at the 44.5MM of the Osage Arm when the vehicle struck a large wake causing her to lose footing and be ejected from the vehicle and struck by watercraft.

She received minor injuries and was taken by private vehicle to Lake Regional Hospital. She was wearing a safety device.