3 HURT IN SEPARATE ACCIDENTS

Three people suffered injuries Monday in two accidents within two minutes a block apart on William.

Police said the second accident, involving four vehicles, happened when a vehicle was unable to stop and struck an auto slowing because of a stalled third vehicle.

The first accident, involving two vehicles, injured driver Alma Jean Ray of the 400 block of Minnesota, police said. Ray and the other victims were treated at Southeast Missouri Hospital and released, said a hospital spokesman.

Reported injured in the second accident were driver Tracy L. Brewer of the 300 block of Cleo in Perryville and a passenger, Tammy L. Malone.

The first accident happened at William and Minnesota at 7:53 a.m., police said. The driver of the second vehicle was identified as Dora Lynne Osborn of Poplar Bluff.

The second accident, police reported, involved vehicles driven by Brewer; John P. Malone of Chaffee Route 2; Steven W. Emmons of the 2800 block of Pioneer; and Theresa Buttry of the first block of Cameilla.

A Cape Girardeau traffic patrolman said the four-car accident occurred when Malone's vehicle struck Brewer's vehicle as it slowed. Brewer's vehicle then rear-ended the Emmons vehicle, which rear-ended Buttry's vehicle.

The patrolman said the first accident happened in rain and the second on wet pavement.