LEBANON, MO — Two people were killed Thursday morning in a three-vehicle crash in Laclede County after a Kia crossed the center of Highway 5 and hit two other vehicles near Lebanon, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The collision happened at 7:01 a.m. near Kingsbrook Road, about a mile north of Lebanon. Troopers said a 2022 Kia Forte first sideswiped a 2019 Ford F-150 before striking a 2018 Toyota Tacoma head-on.
Investigators said the Kia driver and the Toyota driver both died from their injuries. The Ford driver was not hurt.
Crash happened on Highway 5 near Kingsbrook Road
MSHP said the wreck unfolded on a stretch of Highway 5 just north of Lebanon, in a part of Laclede County where the roadway carries local traffic and commuters. The timing placed the crash in the early morning hour when traffic patterns can already be changing for the day.
According to the crash report, the Kia traveled across the center of the roadway before the impacts. First came the sideswipe with the Ford pickup, then the head-on collision with the Toyota Tacoma.
Officials did not immediately say why the Kia drifted across the center line. No additional details about weather, road conditions or possible impairment were included in the crash information released by the patrol.
Springfield man and Lebanon woman were killed
The driver of the Kia was identified by the patrol as a 41-year-old man from Springfield. He was pronounced dead at the scene after the collision.
The driver of the Toyota was a 31-year-old woman from Lebanon. Paramedics later pronounced her dead after responding to the crash.
The crash report also identified the driver of the Ford as a 69-year-old man from Stoutland. Officials said he sustained no injuries in the wreck, despite being involved in the initial sideswipe.
Seatbelts were reported in use by all three drivers
MSHP said all three drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. That detail was included in the patrol’s initial report as investigators documented the scene.
Even with restraint use, the force of the head-on impact proved fatal for the two drivers in the Kia and Toyota. The Ford driver’s lack of injury was the only nonfatal outcome among the people in the three vehicles.
Authorities did not release any indication that passengers were involved. The patrol’s account focused on the drivers and the sequence of impacts that led to the deaths.
Highway patrol report gives the first public account
The Missouri State Highway Patrol provided the first public account of how the crash happened. Its report listed the vehicles involved, the time of the collision and the location along Highway 5 near Lebanon.
That kind of early crash summary typically outlines the sequence of impacts before a fuller investigation is complete. In this case, the patrol said the Kia crossed the center of the roadway, sideswiped the Ford and then struck the Toyota head-on.
Further investigative steps were not described in the information released Thursday. The patrol did not announce any charges or say whether the crash remained under review.
A deadly morning on a familiar stretch of road
The crash added to a grim morning for drivers on one of the main routes through the Lebanon area. Highway 5 serves as a key connector in Laclede County, and the location near Kingsbrook Road put the collision close to the city’s northern approach.
For the families of the victims, the morning ended with two deaths and one driver walking away without injury. For investigators, the crash report leaves the central question focused on what caused the Kia to cross into oncoming lanes.
MSHP has not said whether anyone else was involved beyond the three drivers identified in the report. The patrol’s account remains the key public record of the fatal collision.
