Jackson man dead after Tuesday crash

A Jackson man was killed and three other people injured Tuesday afternoon in a head-on collision on LaSalle Avenue in Cape Girardeau, police said.

Alex P. Hodges, 20, was driving a 1998 Volkswagen Jetta west on LaSalle Avenue just west of Route W about 1:10 p.m. when an eastbound 2004 Ford F-150 pickup truck crossed the centerline and struck the Jetta head-on, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

The driver of the pickup truck, Megan N. Caldwell, 18, of Cape Girardeau was cited for speeding, careless and imprudent driving and driving on the wrong half of the roadway, Hickey said.

He dismissed a rumor that Caldwell was texting at the time of the accident.

"A very thorough investigation was done, and she will not be cited for texting while driving," he said.

Hickey said Caldwell was going more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit at the time of the crash.

"It wasn't like she was doing 80 in a 40," but speed was a factor in the accident, Hickey said.

Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said Hodges sustained "massive internal injuries" in the crash and was pronounced dead about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Saint Francis Medical Center.

Clifton said Hodges had to be extricated from the car before he could be taken to the hospital.

Caldwell, her passenger, and Hodges' passenger all were taken by ambulance to Saint Francis Medical Center to be treated for what Hickey described as "moderate, non-life-threatening" injuries.

Caldwell suffered lacerations, an 11-year-old female in her vehicle sustained an arm injury, and an 18-year-old man in Hodges' car sustained a leg injury, Hickey said.

He said Caldwell was visibly upset after the crash.

"She's still pretty shook up over this incident," Hickey said. "That's a tragic event when you're involved in that."

Authorities were conducting toxicology tests on both drivers -- standard procedure after a fatal accident -- but alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the accident, Hickey said.

He said Caldwell and her passenger were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Hodges and his passenger were not.

Southeast Missouri staff writer Keith Lewis contributed to this report.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

LaSalle Avenue, Cape Girardeau, Mo.