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 August 30, 2023

Two people die in two separate road accidents

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – Two people were killed in two separate accidents last week in the lake area.

The first one was a motorcycle accident that left a Camdenton man dead.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) last Thursday at 10:55 p.m., Dennis Harmon, 48, of Camdenton, MO, was riding a 2017 Harley Davidson east on Highway 54 just east of Route A in Camden County, when the motorcycle went off the left side of the road and hit the median cable barrier, ejection Harmon.

He was pronounced dead at Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach, MO at 11:21 p.m. He was not wearing a helmet.

Last Saturday a Columbia man died in a two vehicle accident.

At 8:38 p.m. on Highway 5 just before Route MM in Morgan County, a 2013 GMC Terrain, driven northbound by Michael Paladino, 33, of Columbia, MO, crossed the center of the roadway and hit a southbound 2011 Ford F-250, driven by James Prchal, 68, of Gravois Mills, MO, head-on.

Paladino was pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. Maynard Jones. He was wearing a seat belt.

Prchal received moderate injuries and was taken by Ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach, MO. He was not wearing a seat belt.

A passenger in the Ford, Joan Olsen, 64, of Omaha, NE, also suffered moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital. She also was not wearing a seat belt.

Both vehicles were totaled in the accident.

This was Troop Fs fifth and sixth fatalities for August.

In other accidents last week in the lake area, an Eldon woman suffered minor injuries in a two vehicle accident last Tuesday, (August 22).

At 3:45 p.m. on Highway 242 at Bagnell Dam Blvd., a 2010 Dodge Journey, driven by Rina Gonzalez, 53, of Eldon, MO and a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by Amber Baumgart, 31, also of Eldon, MO, were both turning onto Highway 242 from Bagnell Dam Blvd. when the Dodge came to a sudden stop and was rear-ended by the Equinox.

Gonzalez received minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts and both vehicles had minor damage.

Later that same day (5:15 p.m.) a 14-year-old juvenile male from Stover, MO, was driving a 1983 Honda ATC 110 east on Franklin Road west of Ivy Bend Road in Morgan County, when the vehicle went off the left side of the road ejecting the juvenile.

He had moderate injuries and was flown by MU Air Care to University Hospital. He was not wearing a safety device. The Honda had minor damage.

Last Thursday at 11:10 p.m., a single-vehicle accident injured four people in Camden County.

According to the MSHP, Andrew Thompson, 32 of Collinsville, IL, was driving a 2006 Lincoln Mark LT Truck south on Route TT near Three Oaks Drive in Sunrise Beach when the vehicle went off the right side of the road and overturned ejecting Thompson and a passenger.

Thompson suffered serious injuries and was flown by helicopter to University Hospital. He was not wearing a seat belt.

A passenger in the vehicle, Michael Eggers, 29, of Imperial, MO, also suffered serious injuries and was flown by helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Springfield. It was unknown if he was wearing a seat belt.

Two other occupants in the truck, Justin Harris, 27, of Arnold, MO and Brandon Webber, 29, of Waterloo, MO, received minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene. It was also unknown if either were wearing their seat belts. The truck was totaled in the crash.