Accident kills Cape Girardeau man

A Cape Girardeau man was killed Thursday night and three other Cape Girardeau residents injured in a single-car accident on County Road 318, two miles east of Jackson.

Robert Garcia-Lopez, 24, was one of three occupants in a 1993 Ford driven by Juan P. Vargus, 24, that was eastbound on the road at about 9:50 p.m., according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report.

The report states the driver failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the roadway, striking a tree.

Garcia-Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene by Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton at 10:50 p.m.

Vargus and occupant Jose M. Gomez-Alvarez, 20, were taken by ambulance to St. Francis Medical Center with serious injuries, the MSHP report said.

A third occupant, Ruben Garcia-Sanchez, 20, was also taken to Saint Francis Medical Center with moderate injuries, the report said.

Garcia-Lopez was the only occupant wearing a seat belt, the report said.

Check back at www.semissourian.com for more details or read Friday's Southeast Missourian.