Two killed in crash with deputy's car

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Scott County sheriff's deputy was back at work Wednesday, a day after he was involved in an accident that killed a woman and her 12-year-old niece and left two other passengers in their car seriously injured.

According to police reports, Sgt. Steve Shoemaker was responding to an emergency call about a stolen truck Tuesday night when the crash occurred.

Shoemaker, driving an unmarked car equipped with a siren and dashboard emergency light, was headed north on U.S. 61 along with a car driven by Evelyn Orman, who was attempting to turn left onto County Road 452 when the crash occurred.

According to police reports, the deputy's car passed two other cars and hit Orman's compact car in the left rear side as she turned. The impact spun her car, leaving it on its side.

Orman, 41, who was thrown from the car, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her niece, Brittany Gates, who was seated behind the driver, also was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other passengers, James and Ashley Gates, were both flown from the scene by helicopter to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

Orman was the girl's maternal aunt and was apparently taking the girl, her sister and their father home, police said.

According to the police report, no one in Orman's car was wearing a seat belt.

Shoemaker, who was wearing a seat belt, was treated for minor injuries at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston and released.

A hospital spokeswoman said late Wednesday that the girls' father, James Gates, 51, remained in critical condition while Ashley Gates, 11, was listed in serious condition.

James Gates works in the parks department for the city of Sikeston.

'Praying for victims'

Shoemaker feels terrible, Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrell said. "He is praying for these victims. We all are. We hope they get to be OK."

The sheriff said Shoemaker was back at work and in a patrol car.

"I told him to take off a few days," Ferrell said. "But he said he couldn't lay around the house. He was doing light duty today."

The Missouri State Highway Patrol's major crash investigation team based in Jackson, Mo., is investigating the crash.

Patrol Lt. Jim McNiell said the two-lane roadway is heavily traveled.

McNiell said Shoemaker was using his emergency equipment, including the flashing dashboard light and a siren, but Orman may not have noticed the lights.

Many people don't hear sirens, McNiell said.

"Actually one witness was a driver examiner with the Highway Patrol," McNiell said. The witness told him she saw the lights but couldn't tell if there was a siren or not because she had her music turned up.

Other witnesses said Orman was driving very slowly, McNiell said. It was dark, and she may have been searching for her turn.

Ferrell said his deputy, "was doing everything he was supposed to be doing. He just couldn't avoid the accident. We hate it that there was an accident and people injured. We drive thousands and thousands of miles a day and a month. We're on the road a lot. We have accidents."

McNiell said he thought both drivers were acting legally when the accident occurred.

He said there were several witnesses to the accident, three of whom stopped to try and help the victims in the frigid temperatures.

The Orman car landed in Bobby and Betty Corgan's yard.

"We were sitting in the living room watching TV when we heard the crash," Betty Corgan said. "I called 911 and they asked me if that was the accident involving the police officer." She said the deputy had already called in the accident.

A gasoline leak from the Orman car and a natural gas leak from a nozzle that had been hit by the car gave rescue workers some concerns, but did not cause any complications.

Managing editor Heidi Hall contributed to this report

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