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NewsJuly 20, 1997

GORDONVILLE -- Three people were being treated at St. Francis Medical Center Saturday night, following an accident on Interstate 55 north of the Highway 61 interchange. Three people from the car were reported being treated in the emergency room at the hospital at press time...

GORDONVILLE -- Three people were being treated at St. Francis Medical Center Saturday night, following an accident on Interstate 55 north of the Highway 61 interchange.

Three people from the car were reported being treated in the emergency room at the hospital at press time.

The accident occurred when a car traveling north attempted to pass a tractor-trailer truck, which edged into the passing lane at about 4 p.m. The car swerved into the median, flipped and rolled into an exit sign off the southbound lanes. Traffic was backed up for two miles.

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A firefighter at the scene said the three people in the car were injured. They were coming from Scott City and headed north where the car seemed to be "knocked off the road" when the truck edged into the passing lane.

"There were three vehicles involved," said Matt Vargo, who was directly behind the car that flipped. "The truck edged out two or three feet when he saw the car trying to pass, but (the driver) was too late. The car went into the median and rolled into the sign."

Traffic was halted until firefighters contained a gas leak and cut the driver from the car.

Firefighters from East County and Cape Girardeau fire departments worked with officers from the Missouri Highway Patrol, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department and Cape Girardeau police.

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