Major crash team investigating fatal Highway 87 collision

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is searching for clues to what caused the crash that killed two people in Howard County on Tuesday.

The patrol reported that the crash happened when a 2004 Dodge Neon driven by 18-year-old Hannah Norris crossed the center line of Highway 87 about one mile north of Route K near Glasgow. Shane Ashpaugh, 17, and Autumn Norris, 15, both were in the vehicle.

Sgt. Scott White said the patrol’s major crash investigation unit is looking into what caused the car to cross the center line.

The neon crashed head-on with a 2015 Ford Fusion driven by 75-year-old Kenneth Huddle of Keytseville.

Huddle and Ashpaugh were pronounced dead at the scene.

Ashpaugh was a senior at Boonville High School. Principal Tim Edwards told ABC 17 News that counselors are available to speak with students.

The school district posted a sympathy message for Ashpaugh on its website.

“He was loved by students and staff members. Please keep Shane’s family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” the district wrote.

Hannah and Autumn Norris suffered serious injuries and were taken to University Hospital in Columbia.

White said the majority of crashes in Missouri happen in urban areas, but the most deadly are on rural roads.

“Our most serious ones and our fatalities occur in rural areas and a lot of the times that’s due to the higher speeds,” White said.

Investigators have not said if high speeds or an over-correction are to blame for the crash.

“The first harmful event is when they actually ran off the right side of the road, over-corrected and then crossed the center line,” White said.

No one involved in the crash was wearing a seat belt.