Patrol seeking truck suspected of causing accidents

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is seeking the whereabouts of a pickup truck suspected of being the cause of two accidents over the weekend.

Sgt. Larry Plunkett of the Missouri State Highway Patrol described the vehicle as a red Ford pickup truck pulling a black utility trailer carrying split firewood.

Plunkett said the vehicle was suspected of contributing to a fatal accident around 12:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon on Interstate 55, four miles north of Benton, Mo. Daniel P. Ryan Jr., 18, was killed after his sport utility vehicle swerved to avoid logs that came loose from the trailer and overturned into the median, ejecting him, patrol officials said. Ryan was then run over by another vehicle, which sideswiped a fourth vehicle trying to avoid him, patrol officials said.

The other accident happened just north of Miner, Mo., at approximately 12:20 p.m. Saturday. Plunkett said the same truck was suspected of being the cause of the highway debris contributing to a motorcycle accident on I-55. Driver Elliex Wooden Jr., 56, and passenger Linda Norfleet, 49, both of Memphis, were taken to Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston with moderate injuries.

Plunkett said the highway patrol was asking anyone with information about either accident or knew the whereabouts of the red Ford truck to call the patrol at (573) 840-9500.