Highway patrol: Wrong-way crash result of medical issue

A wrong-way crash on Interstate 55 involving a Scott County deputy Sunday occurred because the officer had “a medical issue,” the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Tuesday.

Deputy Jason Vishe, 34, of Sikeston, Missouri, was driving southbound in the northbound lane of the interstate at the time of the crash in New Madrid County, according to the highway patrol.

The crash, which was reported at 6:30 a.m., occurred 4 miles north of New Madrid.

The patrol’s Sgt. Clark Parrott said his agency cannot elaborate on Vishe’s medical problem because of a federal law protecting the privacy of a person’s medical information.

In an email to the Southeast Missourian, Parrott wrote, “Deputy Vishe was given field sobriety test after the crash on Sunday and showed no signs of impairment.”

It was the second wrong-way crash involving a deputy from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office in just over a year.

Vishe’s patrol car struck a northbound tractor trailer driven by Kristhian Marlon, 40 of Orlando, Florida. Marlon was not injured in the crash. The truck suffered only minor damage and was driven from the scene, according to the patrol.

Vishe suffered “minor” injuries and was transported by ambulance to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, the patrol said.

The deputy was off duty and “not chasing anybody” at the time of the crash, sheriff’s department Capt. Ron Merideth said Monday.

The Southeast Missourian left phone and email messages for Merideth seeking additional comments Tuesday. As of late afternoon, he had not responded.