More than one-third of mid-Missouri fatality crashes occurred in June

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The month of June was particularly deadly on Missouri roads. More than one-third of the fatality crashes in Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F's jurisdiction happened in June.

Troop F serves the following 13 counties: Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Gasconade, Howard, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, and Osage.

Missouri state troopers have responded to 31 deadly crashes in mid-Missouri so far in 2020. Out of that number, 13 of the fatal crashes were in June.

Corporal Shawn Brazas with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said one common theme in the crashes that occurred in June was drivers running off the side of the road.

"If you look at it you'll see over and over "vehicle traveled off roadway." Off the left side, off the right side," Brazas said.

He said there are several things that could cause drivers to go off the side of the road, including distracted driving, drivers being inexperienced, and more.

Brazas said it is not always typical to see such a spike in the number of fatal crashes.

"Typically it just trends up, to see a total of the third of the annual crashes so far is a spike. You do have spikes, but I think if you look over the last several years you'll notice more of a curve," he said.

There are typically more fatal crashes in summer months in Missouri. Brazas said this is for several reasons, including more young drivers on the road, more construction, and people driving at higher speeds.

Brazas said it is possible the economy beginning to reopen after many businesses closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic may have played a role in the increased crashes as more people got out on the road.

"Once all these restrictions were lifted, you know, as I mentioned more more miles, more vehicles on the road, there's a direct correlation between miles driven and crashes," he said.

A majority of the people who die in vehicle crashes each year are not wearing a seatbelt.

"Every year it's over 50 percent, usually over 60 percent of people who are killed are not wearing their seatbelt. You think of how many lives could have been saved if they had just had the seatbelt on," Brazas said.

These statistics ring true for the month of June. People were not wearing seatbelts in 7 of the 13 fatal crashes in June, or almost 54 percent.