Two killed in area accidents

A Seneca man was killed in a two-vehicle accident at 6:25 a.m. Thursday on Highway 43, two miles north of Seneca in Newton County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The driver of a car involved, Larry W. Chester, 46, was pronounced dead at the scene by a Newton County deputy coroner, authorities said.

Chester’s car was northbound when it crossed the center line and struck the side of a southbound tractor-trailer rig driven by James E. Markle, 26, of Talequah, Okla., according to the patrol.

n A 39-year-old man was killed and another man injured in the collision of a tractor-trailer rig and a pickup truck at 8:50 a.m. Thursday on Route AA, a half-mile north of Dedrick in Vernon County, according to the patrol.

The driver of the pickup truck, Steve R. Gayman, of Walker, was taken by medical helicopter to Barton County Memorial Hospital in Lamar, where he was pronounced dead at 11:12 a.m., the state patrol said. The driver of the tractor-trailer rig, Marcus W. Wilson, 24, of Bolivar, was taken to Nevada Regional Medical Center in Nevada for treatment of minor injuries, the patrol said.,

Gayman was southbound when his pickup truck crossed the center line on a curve and struck Wilson’s northbound tractor-trailer rig, the patrol said.

n Four residents of Republic were injured in a three-vehicle at 8 a.m. Thursday on Highway 174, a quarter-mile east of Route O in Lawrence County, the state patrol said.

The following were taken by ambulance to Cox Medical Center South in Springfield: Jennifer L. Hernandez, 22; Maygan Irvine, 3; David A. Ratliff, 56; and Gail L. Ratliff, 46, the patrol said.

Hernandez was the driver and Irvine her passenger in an eastbound car that crossed the center line and struck the front left side of the Ratliffs’ westbound car, the patrol said. Hernandez’s car then continued east and struck the left side of a westbound vehicle driven by Robert T. Harter, 73, of Billings, the patrol said.

n A Webb City man was injured in a two-vehicle accident at 9:24 p.m. Wednesday on North Florida Avenue at Trenton Street, the Joplin Police Department said.

Michael R. Patton, 30, was taken to Freeman Hospital West, police said.

Patton was driving a southbound vehicle that collided with a northbound car driven by Cody A. Sedgwick, of Joplin, when Sedgwick made a left turn at the intersection, police said.

n Both drivers were injured in a two-vehicle accident at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at 27th and Rouse streets in Pittsburg, Kan., the Pittsburg Police Department said.

Jonathan Matson, 36, of Galena, Kan., was taken by ambulance to Mount Carmel Regional Medical Center in Pittsburg, police said. Janie Kelly, 60, of Pittsburg, was taken to the same hospital by private vehicle, police said.

Kelly’s vehicle was northbound on Rouse Street and crossed the center line, striking Matson’s southbound vehicle, police said.