One dead after North Kingshighway accident; coroner identifies victim

UPDATE

Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton identified the man who died from injuries he received in the accident as Samuel A. Cathey, 22, of Cape Girardeau.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department identified the name of the driver who survived as Herschel Glen Faire, 61, of Jackson. Faire was driving a pickup truck that collided with Cathey's car, but he received only minor injuries and was treated and released from the hospital.

Original story

A local man died Tuesday afternoon from injuries he received in a two-vehicle crash that closed down an area of northbound North Kingshighway for more than an hour.

The 22-year-old Cape Girardeau man's name won't be released until today so that his family members can be notified, according to a Cape Girardeau Police Department news release.

The accident happened when a 1994 Ford Mustang, driven by the deceased, made a lane change while traveling south on Kingshighway, lost control and went into the northbound passing lane, said Cape Girardeau police officer Joe Thomas. The driver side of the Mustang hit the front of a 2004 Dodge Dakota traveling north. The drivers were the only people in the vehicles. They were taken to Saint Francis Medical Center, where the Mustang driver was pronounced dead.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts, according to a police department news release.

Police wouldn't release the name of the Dakota driver, but Thomas said he was treated and released from Saint Francis Medical Center with minor injuries.

Traffic was diverted from northbound Kingshighway in the area of just north of Cape Rock Drive at Fairview Place as emergency responders worked the scene. Thomas said both northbound lanes were closed and traffic diverted onto other roads for more than an hour before one lane of northbound Kingshighway was opened. At that time police also closed one lane of the road southbound to continue work at the scene. Thomas said the scene wasn't completely cleared until about two hours after the accident.

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