(Willow Springs) – The Highway Patrol reports that three accidents on the Fourth of July sent seven people to the hospital.
The first accident happened at 11:10 AM on Cherokee Road near Norwood in Wright County. 35-year-old Michael Mollohan of Mountain Grove was taken to Cox South Hospital in Springfield after he struck a deer on his motorcycle, ejecting him from the bike. He suffered moderate injuries.
The next two accidents happened around 8:45 PM in Howell and Ozark Counties. Two West Plains residents, an 8 and 15-year-old female, suffered moderate injuries after the four-wheeler that the teenager was driving ran off-road on CR 4100 2 miles west of West Plains. The vehicle then hit a fence and overturned. Both of the girls were taken to Ozarks Medical Center in West Plains by ambulance.
The third accident happened around 8:45 PM on Route J east of Gainesville, where the vehicle driven by 54-year-old Sandra Luna of Mountain Home swerved at the top of a hill to avoid a vehicle. Luna’s car then traveled off road and overturned, coming to rest on the passenger side of the vehicle.
Luna and a 13-year-old male from Midwest City, OK suffered minor injuries in the accident, and were taken to Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home. Two other passengers, 17-year-old Astli Raincrow and 18-year-old Thalia Randal of Midwest City, OK, suffered moderate injuries. Randal was taken to Baxter Regional Medical Center, while Raincrow was air lifted to Mercy Hospital in Springfield by Air Evac.
At this time, no fatal accidents were reported by the Highway Patrol Troop G.