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 September 11, 2024

Two children injured in rollover accident

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – Four people were injured in a rollover accident last week including two children.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) last Monday (September 2) at 5:55 p.m., Aaliyah Diehl, 19, of Jefferson City, MO, was driving a 2001 Ford Expedition west on Highway 54 east of Tolwood Road when the driver “failed to keep a proper lookout of the roadway.”

The Ford went off the left side of the road, returned to the roadway where it skidded and overturned. It then went off the right side of the road, overturned again, hit a highway sign and finally came to rest upright.

Diehl received minor injuries and was taken by Miller County EMS to Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach, MO.

Three passengers in the vehicle were injured:

Brittany Wallace, 39, of Jefferson City, MO, suffered moderate injuries and was taken by Lake Ozark Fire to Lake Regional Hospital.

A four-year-old juvenile male and a three-year-old juvenile male had minor injuries and were also taken to Lake Regional Hospital by Miller County EMS.

The two juveniles were wearing seat belts but the two adults were not. The Ford was totaled in the crash.

The week started off with a one-vehicle accident on Sunday September 1 in Camden County.

At 5:55 p.m., a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado was being driven by Dustin Gibson, 32, of Camdenton, MO, south on Old Route 5 at Resorts Road in Camden County, when the vehicle attempted to make a left turn onto Resorts Road. The vehicle went off the right side of the road and hit a utility pole.

A female passenger in the vehicle, Devin Davis, 28, of Camdenton, MO, suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital. She was not wearing a seat belt and neither was the driver. The Chevrolet had extensive damage.

Roughly 90 minutes later (7:25 p.m.) Travis Cullen, 43, of Alleman, IA, was driving a 2023 Can-Am Defender UTV eastbound on Yacht Club Drive west of Marine View Drive in Camden County, when he failed to negotiate a curve, went off the right side of the road and overturned.

A passenger in the vehicle, Todd Simpkinson, 50, of Jetson, KY, received serious injuries. He was taken by private vehicle to Lake Regional Hospital. Neither the passenger nor the driver was wearing a safety device.

The Can-Am had moderate damage.

The Sunday crashes were not over with a two-vehicle accident taking place at 8:16 p.m.

According to the MSHP, Alisha Powell, 35, of Edwardsville, IL, was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox south on Highway 5 south of Deep Water Drive in Camden County, when she stopped to make a left turn.

At that time, a 2019 Nissan Kicks, driven by Gayle Lefeber, 60, of Lincoln, NE, who was traveling the same direction, came up behind the Nissan, failed to stop and hit the Nissan in the rear.

Lefeber had minor injuries and was taken by EMS to Lake Regional Hospital. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. The Nissan had extensive damage and the Equinox moderate damage.

On the evening of September 2 (Monday, 8:25 p.m.) a two-vehicle accident sent two juveniles to the hospital.

A 2004 Saturn VUE was being driven by James Hicks, 44, of Sunrise Beach, MO, south on Highway 5 preparing to make a left turn onto Route F.

At that time a 2012 Chevy Malibu, driven by Thanapat Kingnak, 18, of Lebanon, MO, was traveling north on Highway 5.

The Saturn “turned left on a flashing yellow” into the path of the Malibu, which struck the rear passenger side of the Saturn, the MSHP reported.

The Saturn rotated and came to rest facing southwest.

Two female juveniles in the Saturn, one 12-year-old and the other a nine-year-old had minor injuries and were taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital. All involved were wearing their seat belts.

The Malibu had moderate damage and the Saturn extensive damage.

A single-vehicle accident last Friday sent two to the hospital.

At 11:52 a.m., Marvin Holmes, 86, of Sunrise Beach, MO, was driving a 2018 Toyota Highlander west on Sunrise Memorial Drive, west of Market Drive in Camden County, when the vehicle went off the right side of the road, hit a tree and overturned.

Marvin Holmes and a female passenger, Florence Holmes, 80, also of Sunrise Beach, MO, received minor injuries and were taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital. Both were wearing their seat belts. The Toyota had moderate damage.