Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog

Arlen L. McGee from Sturgeon, Missouri died after being ejected from his vehicle in a Boone County Missouri car accident. McGee was driving eastbound on Peabody Road at US-63 when the Boone County Missouri car collision occurred on the night of June 26, 2011.

McGee, who drove a 1994 Chevrolet, failed to yield to a 1995 Mercury driven by Kelsey L. Bruce of Hallsville, Missouri. McGee’s Chevrolet slammed into the passenger side of Bruce’s Mercury before crashing into a road sign. The Chevrolet overturned in the Missouri side collision accident, ejecting McGee. McGee was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by Boone County Medical Examiner Dori Burke. McGee did not wear a seat belt during the accident.

Two other Missourians were injured in the Missouri side impact car accident. 18 year old Kelsey Bruce was moderately injured. She was taken to the University Hospital by ambulance. Steve R. Touchton, a 19 year old from Hallsville, sustained minor injuries. Touchton refused medical treatment at the scene of the accident.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), each year more than 20,000 Americans die in traffic accidents while not wearing a seat belt. This figure is decreasing because of improved seat belt use. However, the number of deaths caused by unrestrained driving in Missouri side impact car accidents is still too high.

Many areas in the United States have enacted tough seatbelt laws to decrease the number of traffic fatalities. Primary seat belt laws enable law enforcement officers to ticket drivers and occupants for not using a safety belt, even when there are no other traffic offenses. 31 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands all have primary seat belt laws. Missourians may only be ticketed for seat belt issues if they commit another traffic infraction. 18 states, including Missouri, have passed secondary seat belt laws.