TWO DIE IN SEPARATE ACCIDENTS

Two people died in separate accidents in Southeast Missouri Thursday night and Friday morning.

Todd McBride, 24, of Dexter was killed in a fiery accident on Highway 60, five miles east of Dexter, at 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said McBride was westbound. As he changed lanes to pass a vehicle, his vehicle struck an eastbound truck head on. McBride's car caught fire.

The truck driver, James McNeal, 30, of Chicago wasn't injured, the patrol said.

Nalley Garcia, 13, of Chicago was killed in a one-vehicle accident at 5:30 a.m. Friday on Interstate 57 at Interstate 55 east of Sikeston.

Garcia was a passenger in a southbound car driven by Margarita Gonzalez, 35, of Chicago.

The accident occurred when Gonzalez lost control of the car. The vehicle ran off the road into the median and overturned several times, the patrol said.

Gonzalez and passengers Jose Vergara, 32, and Candy Garcia, 11, both of Chicago, were injured.

Gonzalez and Candy Garcia were taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau where they were reported Friday night in serious condition and fair condition, respectively.

Vergara was treated and released at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston.

The two deaths bring the accident death toll to 56 in the patrol's Troop E district this year. Last year at this time, there had been 51 fatalities in Southeast Missouri.