One dead in crash that closed down both lanes of I-70 eastbound near Rocheport

BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

One man died in a crash that stalled traffic near the Rocheport bridge for hours on Saturday, according to Boone County Fire Protection District.

A car with five passengers, including three minors rolled over at the 116-mile marker of I-70 eastbound, just east of the Rocheport Bridge, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The crash occurred when a 2006 Saturn Ion was traveling east on I-70 in the left lane when the driver, 29-year-old Dakota Carter of Huntsville, and passenger 30-year-old Brittney Brown of Huntsville got into an argument.

Carter and Brown then both started trying to gain control of the steering wheel. That's when the car went off the right side of the road, hit an embankment and flipped over.

Carter was partially thrown from the vehicle and was pronounced dead on scene.

Brown and the three minors ages 10, five and a baby a few months old, were taken by ambulance to University Hospital.

The baby suffered no injuries but was taken to the hospital to be evaluated. The 10-year-old sustained moderate injuries while the five-year-old sustained serious injuries, according to the crash report.

Brown suffered minor injuries and was also taken to University Hospital by ambulance.

The male driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp said.

Both lanes of eastbound traffic were shut down for about an hour starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday for this crash, according to Boone County Joint Communications. The right lane reopened around 6:30 p.m., and the left lane reopened around 7:30 p.m.

This is Troop F's first fatal crash of April, and 10th since the start of 2024.