CRASH NEAR EAST PRAIRIE KILLS ONE, INJURES SEVEN

CHARLESTON -- An East Prairie woman was killed and seven people were injured in a three-vehicle accident on Missouri 105, one mile south of Charleston Friday night.

Linda Gale Brown Counts, 28, was fatally injured about 11 p.m. Friday when the northbound car she was driving crossed the center line and struck a pickup truck in oncoming traffic. The car then careened back to strike another northbound vehicle, said the Missouri State Patrol.

Four passengers in the Counts car suffered injuries. They were:

Alecia Brown, 7, Charleston, taken to Missouri Delta Hospital, where she remained in intensive care late Saturday.

Jerry Neal, 23, of Charleston, transferred from Missouri Delta to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, where he remained in intensive care Saturday.

Melissa Brown, 14, Charleston, taken to St. Francis, reported in critical condition Saturday.

Michael Brown, 9, taken to St. Francis, reported in critical condition Saturday.

Ronnie Chance, 34, East Prairie, driver of the pickup truck, and Travis Hammondtree, 8, a passenger in the truck both suffered injuries and were taken to the Missouri Delta Hospital. Chance was later transferred to St. Francis, where his condition is reported as satisfactory. Hammondtree remained in the pediatric ward at Missouri Delta Saturday.

Napolean Emmanuel, 36, of Chicago, driver of the third vehicle suffered moderate injures and was taken to Missouri Delta where he was treated and released.

State police reported that none of the drivers were wearing seat belts.