Bollinger County teen dead after Highway 34 crash

A Bollinger County teenager is dead after the SUV she was riding in and a box truck crashed head-on Friday afternoon on Highway 34 near Route U in Cape Girardeau County.

Amelia Fisher

Amelia H. Fisher, 17, of Grassy, Mo., a passenger in the SUV, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Slumberland Furniture truck and a Toyota 4Runner collided when the furniture truck crossed the centerline and struck the SUV, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's crash report.

The crash left the furniture truck on fire, said witness Jim Henderson, who was driving from Marble Hill, Mo., in his semi-truck when he witnessed the collision at about 3:40 p.m.

"I saw the impact," he said. "I had to slam on my brakes and barely missed it. I couldn't believe it."

Henderson used a fire extinguisher from his vehicle to put out the fire underneath the box truck before pulling Bobby J. Abernathy, 33, and Eric A. Smith, 22, both of Jackson, to safety.

He then ran to the SUV, which was producing smoke, and cut the battery cables with his pocket knife before trying to pull Fisher and Erin L. Cordell, 18, of Marble Hill from the vehicle.

"I had to cut her [the driver's] seat belt off," Henderson said. "If it caught fire I was going to get her out, too."

Fisher and Cordell had to be extricated from the SUV later by fire fighters.

Cordell, Smith and Abernathy were taken to Saint Francis Medical Center with moderate injuries.

Fisher was pronounced dead at the scene by Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton.

The road had to be closed for part of the afternoon.

Pertinent address:

Highway 34 and Route U, Burfordville, MO