Dec 26, 2024 Local News
(St. Francois County, MO) A boy is dead and multiple people have been injured, including minors this morning in St. Francois County according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. More details from the Highway Patrol show 6 members of the Shirk Family were riding in their horse drawn buggy headed north on Highway OO just south of Highway DD when a pick up truck driven north by 16 year old Christopher W. Kazmierczak, of Fredericktown, crashed into the rear of the buggy. Highway Patrol reports show force of the crash threw all 6 people from the buggy.
A 7 year old boy in the buggy, Mervin H. Shirk, was killed in the wreck. His siblings, 10 year old Miriam Shirk and 12 year old Titus Shirk were seriously injured and were flown to Children's Hospital in St. Louis. Two other occupants of the buggy, 50 year old Alice Shirk and 21 year old Dorcas Shirk, were also seriously injured. They were taken by ambulance to Barnes Hospital. The driver of the buggy, Allen Shirk, received minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The driver of the truck, Kazmierczak, was not injured however his passenger, 15 year old Geoffery G. Howard, of Fredericktown, received minor injuries and was take to Parkland health Center. Troopers with the Highway Patrol indicate Inattentive driving caused the driver of the pick not to see the buggy in time to stop before the crash.
The Patrol's Corporal Juston Wheetley, is at the scene and he says the accident happened when a pick up truck rear ended an Amish buggy on Highway OO south of Highway DD.
The full report from the Highway Patrol is exepcted once the Patrol's Crash Reconstruction Team has invesitagted the wreck. The horse was taken to a veterinarian to be treated. There will be a prayer vigil tonight at 5:30 at Long Park in Farmington. Stay tuned to KFMO/B104 News for more details.
