ST. LOUIS — The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSPS) has released its annual statistics for traffic and boat-related crashes over the Labor Day weekend.
Five people, including a 3-year-old, died in traffic crashes across the state and two people drowned over the Labor Day weekend, according to the preliminary statistics. In addition, MSHP responded to 276 traffic crashes, 97 injuries, and 113 DWIs.
Here are the full preliminary statistics, recorded from 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Monday:
Traffic
Crashes: 276
Injuries: 97
Fatalities: 4
Driving While Intoxicated (DWI): 113
Drug Arrests: 55
Boating
Crashes: 7
Injuries: 3
Fatalities: 1
Boating While Intoxicated (BWI): 5
Drownings: 1
Drug Arrests: 8
One of the five fatalities was investigated by Springfield police rather than MSHP, so it was not included in the above statistics.
The number of deaths is down from 11 last year. In 2021, MSHP investigated 318 total traffic crashes over the holiday, which included 121 injuries and six of the recorded fatalities.
In 2020, there were 13 deaths from traffic crashes over Labor Day.
Among those who died over this year's Labor Day weekend were 29-year-old Tyler Elliott of Kentucky, who drowned after leaving a vessel on Lake of the Ozarks to go swimming, and 21-year-old Ryan McGee of Moody, Missouri, who waded into deep water and drowned in the White River in Ozark County.
On Friday, 25-year-old Steven Stafford of Versailles, Missouri, was killed when another vehicle that was passing other cars struck him head on. The driver that struck him also received serious injuries.
Three fatal crashes occurred on Saturday.
Melvin Lewis, 75, of Fisk, died when he traveled off the road, struck a driveway embankment and overturned in Butler County.
A Rocky Mount 3-year-old was killed in Morgan County when the car the child was in traveled off the road, struck a Chevron sign, and overturned.
The child wasn't restrained in an age-appropriate child restraint, MSHP said.
Kaylee Fields, 19, of Humansville, was killed in Springfield while riding in the bed of a pickup truck.
The truck lost control and stuck a utility pole, a chain link fence and a tree before overturning and ejecting her.
On Labor Day, 61-year-old William Chandler of Winston, Georgia, died when he traveled off the right side of the road and overcorrected, striking a car coming from the other direction and overturning.
MSHP noted that the statistics were preliminary and subject to change as more information is gathered.
