Region/state digest 07/29/05

Benton man hurt after car overturns

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- A Benton, Mo., man was in stable condition at Saint Francis Medical Center Thursday evening after crashing his car on a Scott County road. John Kirby, 67, was driving south at about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday on County Road 241 about a half-mile south of New Hamburg, Mo., when he ran off the right side of the road, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported. The 1993 Ford he was driving overturned. Kirby sustained moderate injuries.

Five dead in accident near Six Flags St. Louis

EUREKA, Mo. -- Five people from the St. Louis area were killed and 12 hospitalized Thursday after a multivehicle accident on Interstate 44 near Six Flags St. Louis. Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Julie Scerine said the crash happened when a dump truck loaded with gravel failed to slow down as the traffic in front of it stalled near the amusement park exit. The truck collided with a minivan, which caught fire and later exploded after it crossed a grassy area and came to rest on a service road along with the dump truck. Everyone in the minivan died. The minivan also hit a Saturn, which crashed into a Chevrolet Cavalier, which hit a Hyundai, which struck another Cavalier. Scerine said alcohol wasn't a factor in the crash, and the dump truck was being tested for mechanical problems.

-- From staff, wire reports