Driver killed in semi, sedan collision
By TONY BROWN Staff writer
A heavily damaged 18-wheeler is shown along the shoulder of Highway 71 north of Maryville following a collision shortly after noon on Monday that claimed the life of a second motorist driving a tan Chevrolet Impala. At the time of the wreck, extremely heavy rain had slickened pavement and obscured visibility.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to a fatal head-on collision shortly after noon on Monday near the intersection of Route CC and Highway 71 just north of Maryville.
Sheriff Darren White identified the deceased as Todd Pedersen, 52, of Clarinda, Iowa, and said next of kin had been notified.
The accident involved an International 18-wheeler carrying farm equipment and driven by Donald L. Root, 55, Punkhannock, Pennsylvania, and a Chevrolet Impala sedan driven by Pedersen.
Dr. Vincent Shelby, Nodaway County coroner, declared Pedersen dead at the scene. The truck driver reportedly escaped serious injury.
Both drivers were wearing seat belts, according to a patrol report.
Assisting state troopers C.J. Sullivan and H.A. Sears at the collision site were personnel from Maryville Public Safety and the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office as well as volunteer firefighters and a Nodaway County Ambulance District rescue crew.
White said the call came in at 12:10 p.m. At the time extremely heavy rain had slickened pavement and obscured visibility. He said the 18-wheeler was reportedly northbound in the truck driver’s right-hand lane when it struck the southbound car, which had apparently crossed the center line.
Highway 71 was closed between the CC intersection and Jade Road about a mile to the southeast while the body was evacuated and the highway cleared of debris.
Owned by Hunt Transportation of Omaha, Nebraska, the 18-wheeler, was extensively damaged and had to be towed from the scene. The sedan was demolished.
The Missouri Department of Transportation dispatched personnel to the crash site and used barricades to detour traffic onto Highway 148, Route CC, and Business 71 (Maryville’s North Main Street).
Officers remained on scene until late afternoon, during which the affected stretch of highway remained barred to traffic.
