Perryville woman among holiday deaths

Five people were reported killed in accidents on Missouri roads over the Labor Day weekend, including a Perryville, Mo., woman.

Verlene Verseman, 43, suffered fatal injuries when a vehicle she was riding in was struck on Route D just south of U.S. 61 in Perry County.

Verseman was taken by ambulance to Perry County Memorial Hospital following the accident. She died less than two hours later.

Her husband, David Verseman, was moderately injured, according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The accident happened at 9:55 p.m. on Route D when a vehicle driven by Douglas Grantham, 37, of Perryville ran off the right edge of the roadway, overcorrected and crossed into the southbound lane, striking the Verseman's vehicle.

Grantham received serious injuries and was taken by helicopter to Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Other fatality accidents across the state:

Daniel Griffin, 43, of Maryland Heights, Mo., died Sunday afternoon when his motorcycle ran off a county road 12 miles west of Cherokee Pass in Madison County and hit some trees, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

Jevin Countryman, 19, of Monroe City was killed early Sunday when he lost control of his car on a gravel road in Monroe County, the patrol said. Countryman was thrown from the car and trapped under it after it overturned several times, the patrol said.

A man died Saturday evening when he drove off the road during a drag race and hit a tree, splitting his truck in two, authorities said.

Chad Strubberg, 19, of Washington, Mo., died at a hospital after the accident, which happened Saturday evening on a Franklin County road.

The patrol said Strubberg was racing another vehicle when he crested a hill and saw an oncoming vehicle. He overcorrected, drove off the road and hit the tree head-on.

A 15-year-old girl was killed Friday night on Interstate 70 in St. Charles County.

Rebecca Inahara, of St. Charles, was a passenger in a car that went off the road and hit the median wall near St. Peters, the patrol said.

The 16-year-old driver was trying to pass another vehicle, but could not get around and lost control, the patrol said. The driver was uninjured, but two other passengers in the car suffered minor injuries.

Last year 20 people were killed in accidents on Missouri roads during the Labor Day weekend. Twelve people were killed in 1999.