Accidents leave Perryville residents seriously injured

Seven Perryville, Mo., residents were seriously injured in three separate accidents Wednesday and Thursday.

In the first accident Wednesday morning, five members of the same family were seriously injured when their passenger car went out of control on fresh asphalt in a construction zone and ran off the road, hitting a tree.

Injured were the driver, Sirena Chandler, 30, and passengers Cole Chandler, 8, Tyler Chandler, 6, Dilan Chandler, 3, and Dane Chandler, 2.

All except Dane were taken to Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville. He was taken to St. Louis Children's Hospital by helicopter.

The accident occurred at 9:30 a.m. on County Road 501, one mile east of Route B in Perry County.

In the second accident, Janet McDowell, 44, of Perryville was seriously injured when her passenger car ran off the road, hit an embankment and overturned at 11:25 a.m. Thursday.

She was taken to Perry County Memorial Hospital. The accident occurred on Route P, 1.7 miles off Highway 61 in Perry County.

The third mishap occurred in Ste. Genevieve County Thursday afternoon.

Kevin Westmoreland, 40, of Perryville was seriously injured when his SUV overturned on Highway 32 at Miller Switch Road. It occurred at 3:55 p.m.

The driver of the other vehicle, a truck, was Daniel Lawson, 29, of Desloge. He was not injured.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, when Lawson's vehicle made a left turn in front of Westmoreland's vehicle, Westmoreland swerved to avoid Lawson, leaving the road.