THREE SERIOUS AFTER CRASH

Two accidents involving seven cars within 10 minutes Thursday morning near Gordonville left three people in intensive care at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

The first accident involved four cars, blocked Highway 25 and contributed to the second accident.

Injured in the first accident were Russell Jackson, 45, of Delta; Ruth Roth, 31, of Cape Girardeau; and her 1-year-old daughter Whittney. They were all in intensive care Thursday night. Roth's other daughter, Brittany Roth, 3, was hospitalized with minor injuries.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said Jackson was driving his van south on Highway 25 a mile north of Gordonville at 7:20 a.m. when he crossed the center line and traveled into the path of a northbound MFA feed truck driven by Roger Amelunke, 39, of Jackson.

Amelunke steered to the right to try to avoid Jackson's car, said Sarah Nussbaum, another driver involved in the accident. Jackson's van hit the rear of the truck and then sideswiped Nussbaum's van, which was behind the truck.

The truck then hit Roth's van head-on, said the patrol.

"I really do credit that MFA driver for not losing control of his truck and not crossing to the other side of the street," Nussbaum said. "There's a lot of traffic on that side of the highway at that time of day."

The truck and Nussbaum's van ended up in a ditch. Both were driven away after they were towed out.

Ten minutes after the first accident, Gerald Adams, 45, of rural Cape Girardeau County was driving northbound on Highway 25 and came over the top of the hill. He said he braked when he saw the wreckage from the accident and a Gordonville fire truck blocking the road.

A car driven by Colleen Lukefahr hit him from the rear, and his vehicle was then hit by a pickup driven by Janet Cox.

"It shot me down the highway and then off the road," Adams said. "Part of my trunk is in my back seat."

Lukefahr, 22, of Daisy was taken to Southeast Hospital where she was treated and released. Cox, 51, of Jackson had minor injuries and drove herself away, said the patrol.

Adams said he went to Southeast Hospital on his own later and was treated and released for neck and leg pain.

Betty McCart, sister of Ruth Roth, said her sister had surgery Thursday. The accident broke her legs and injured her chest. Whittney had a spinal injury, McCart said, while Brittany had "seat-belt burns."

Both girls were in car seats, said the patrol.

Nussbaum's daughter Elizabeth was in the van with her and was unhurt, Nussbaum said.

Both Nussbaums, Adams, Amelunke and Cox wore seat belts, said the patrol. Lukefahr, Roth and Jackson didn't, they said.