TWO IN INTENSIVE CARE AFTER I-55 ACCIDENT

A man and woman from Marble Hill, Mo., were in serious condition Monday evening after an afternoon accident with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 55, a doctor at St. Francis Medical Center said.

Clifton R. Davis, 52, and Veronica Davis, 72, were in the intensive care unit, the doctor said. Charles L. Brown, 61, of Marble Hill was treated and released.

Their car, driven by Clifton Davis, was going south in the right lane on I-55 about 2:10 p.m. when the accident occurred, Cape Girardeau police said.

Davis attempted to cut in front of the tractor-trailer, driven by Demetrius Easley, 30, of Burlington, Iowa., Sgt. Carl Eakins said. It appeared that Davis was trying to maneuver his car into a gravel road in the median connecting the northbound and southbound lanes of the interstate, Eakins said.

The tractor-trailer struck Davis' car, which swerved into the median, then back across the southbound lanes. It landed in the ditch off the right shoulder of the interstate.

Cape Girardeau firefighters had to extricate the driver and two passengers from the car.

After the car pulled in front of him, Easley lost control of the tractor-trailer. It skidded to a stop, tipping over on its left side across both southbound lanes.

Also in the tractor-trailer with Easley were Tamika Jefferson, 26, of Burlington, Iowa, and five children. The children, who range in age from 8 years to four months, were all treated at the hospital and released.

The tractor-trailer, which was carrying a load of cheese, was removed from the roadway in two hours, Sgt. Carl Kinnison said.

Both southbound lanes were open at 5 p.m., Kinnison said.