THREE DIE ON COUNTY ROADS IN LAST WEEK

On the eve of the Fourth of July weekend -- one of the most accident-marred holidays of the year -- Cape Girardeau is poised to surpass last year's total number of fatal car accidents.

A Friday afternoon accident on I-55 marked the third traffic fatality recorded in Cape Girardeau this year -- the second in a week. Last year, the Cape Girardeau Police Department worked a total of three fatality accidents.

Jackson recorded its first traffic fatality of the year Friday afternoon.

And with the holiday looming, local law enforcement authorities encouraged motorists to drive with caution.

"Especially during the holidays, people tend to over-drive," said Sgt. Al Moore, head of the traffic division of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. "Drivers need to take frequent breaks and plan ahead, especially in hot weather.

"It's rough in the car with the sun beating through the glass," said Moore. "Drivers have a tendency to get sleepy, especially after they've eaten."

Last year there were 1,308 crashes statewide on the Fourth of July weekend alone. Ten people died.

"In 1993, traffic fatalities were at one of their lowest points in 10 years," said a Highway Patrol spokesman. "Unfortunately, the number of people dying on Missouri's roads and highways is on the rise. That is something we're all concerned about."

On Friday afternoon, a single-car crash killed a 19-year-old West Memphis, Ark., woman on Interstate 55 inside the Cape Girardeau city limits. Police said the driver lost control of the car after two tires left the roadway.

Arnetra Marie King was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, where the van she was riding in came to rest on its side in a ditch along the northbound lanes of I-55, just about one-half mile south of Bloomfield Road.

All six passengers of the van were ejected from the vehicle. Two were seriously injured and remain in stable condition at the St. Francis Medical Center. The three remaining passengers escaped with only minor injuries.

Last Sunday, a 15-year-old Cape Girardeau man was killed when he was thrown from the car he was riding in. Corey Ellis King, of 327 Morgan Oak, was killed instantly. Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Carpenter said King died from a broken neck.

The 22-year-old driver of the vehicle, Billy J. McGee, of 1437 N. Main, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Corey King's death. He has also been charged with second degree assault and leaving the scene of an accident.

A Cape Girardeau resident was killed in a car accident Friday afternoon, when the motorcycle he was operating collided with a truck in Jackson.

Eric Knight, 19, was pronounced dead at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau about a half-hour after the accident occurred on Bainbridge Road east of Donna Drive.

On May 13, a 40-year-old Scott City man was killed after the motorcycle he was riding skidded out of control. Thomas E. Johnson, 44, of pronounced dead at the scene after he apparently failed to negotiate fa slight curve and was thrown from his motorcycle into a steel sign post at the end of the traffic island.

"Statistically, accidents and fatalities seem to run in threes for some strange reason," said Moore. "Hopefully, we won't have any more."

If there is a lesson for young people to learn from the recent traffic fatalities, Moore said it would be this: "Teenagers think they have the endurance and ability to drive long periods. they may not realize how tired they get behind the steering wheel. Many accidents we work are due to driver inattention."

Moore also pointed out that the teenagers who have been killed in traffic accidents in Cape Girardeau this year were ejected from their cars.

"Seat belts do save lives," said Moore. "There are arguments both ways, but the majority of fatalities I've seen would not have happened if they were wearing their seat belts."

Over the holiday weekend, Moore said the Cape Girardeau Police Department and other area law enforcement agencies will be working with the Missouri State Highway Patrol in an effort called Operation CARE -- Combined Accident Reduction Effort.

Starting Friday, July 1, and running through midnight on July 4, an increased number of police officers on Missouri's major thoroughfares, will focus on preventing serious crashes by enforcing the state's speed laws, encouraging seat belt use and cracking down on drinking and driving.