Four Fatalities in Friday Crashes

(Jefferson City, MO) Troopers with the Highway Patrol say there were four fatalities in three separate crashes in three Parkland Counties last Friday evening during our winter storm. In the first wreck a Desloge man, 77 year old Frankie D. Gant, died after his pickup ran off Highway 67, a few hundred feet north of the Big River Bridge in St. Francois County, just after 5:30 last Friday afternoon. Highway Patrol reports show Gant was driving too fast for icy conditions. 
     In a second crash that happened in Ste. Genevieve County at 6:20 a woman from Ste. Genevieve, 51 year old Michelle L. Flieg, died as her SUV ran off  Interstate 55 last Friday evening. Highway Patrol reports show the crash took place near mile marker. Two passengers in the vehicle, 60 year old Paul M. Flieg, and 25 year old Jessica L. Fleig, were seriously injured and were taken to Mercy Hospital Jefferson.
     The third crash, which took place in Washington County at 7:36 Friday night, took the lives of  two men from Cadet including 54 year old Douglas A. Andrea and 23 year old Jacob W. Andrea. According to Highway Patrol records the accident took place as a pickup was being driven south on Highway 21, near Golden Rod Road, by Douglas Andrea. A Diesel truck driven by 32 year old Donte A. Moore of Kansas City, Missouri, was headed north when Andrea lost control of the pickup on the icy roadway. It began to spin counter clockwise into the northbound lane crashing into the diesel truck. Douglas Andrea was pronounced dead at the scene while Jacob Andrea died later at the hospital. Moore and his passenger, 59 year old Bruce B. Britton of Poplar Bluff, received minor injuries and were taken to Washington County Memorial Hospital.