Flat tire caused 4-fatality crash near Lake of the Ozarks

A flat tire caused a 4-fatality crash on the Niangua Bridge on Highway 5 near the Lake of the Ozarks Wednesday morning, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

ABC 17 has learned a dump truck going north over the bridge crossed the center line Wednesday morning, hitting another pickup truck head-on. The Missouri State Highway Patrol report states the dump truck had a flat tire, which caused the driver, 56-year-old Randal Estes of Warsaw, Mo., to lose control. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three people in the pickup truck, 46-year-old Cindy Schroeder, 50-year-old Terry Schroeder, and 14-year-old Dyan Schroeder, were killed, according to the crash report. Another 14-year-old was flown to University Hospital in Columbia with serious injuries.

Just before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, officials with the Camden County Sheriff’s Office said the Niangua Bridge located on north Highway 5 would be closed to traffic until mid-afternoon.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol, Camden County Sheriff’s Office and Mid-County Fire all responded to the scene.