Winter storm leads to four fatal crashes in central Missouri

ROLLA, Mo. -- Icy streets contributed to four fatal crashes in Missouri as the latest winter created hazardous driving conditions across much of the state, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

John Mattingly, 52, of St. Peters, died Thursday afternoon along Interstate 44 near Rolla in Phelps County. His car slid on ice, left the road and hit a guardrail before flipping, the patrol said.

The patrol said 18-year-old Justin Tognozzi, of Ballwin, died early Friday when he lost control of his car on Interstate 70 in Callaway County and hit a semi-trailer truck that had stopped for another crash. It was one of three crashes within minutes of each other on that stretch of interstate that shut down the westbound lanes for several hours.

Also on Thursday, John Forsee, 54, of Ashland, was killed when his car skidded off of U.S. 63 in Boone County, hit a sign, struck a culvert and overturned, the patrol said.

And Catherine Lewis, 74, of Warsaw, died Friday. She was a passenger in a car on Thursday that was going too fast for wet road conditions when it hit a concrete median barrier on Interstate 44 in Franklin County near St. Louis, the patrol said. The driver of the car was seriously injured.

Residents in eastern Missouri awoke Friday to flurries and freezing drizzle, including areas in and around St. Louis.

The National Weather Services said skies were expected to clear and temperatures rise to above freezing later Friday before warming to nearly 50 degrees on Sunday.