Holiday weekend sees few injury accidents

Despite it being the Fourth of July weekend, there were only a couple of injury accidents that took place locally over the holiday period.

A motorcyclist and his passenger were injured in a one-vehicle accident that occurred at 2:40 p.m. Saturday on Highway 32, three-tenths of a mile west of Highway A in Iron County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the accident took place when an eastbound 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Thomas J. Pendley, 59, of Bonne Terre, failed to negotiate a curve to the left, traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned.

Injured in the accident was Pendley and passenger Paula J. Link, 55, of Mineral Point. Link was transported by Air Evac to St. Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis where she was treated for moderate injuries. Pendley, who received minor injuries, refused medical treatment at the scene.

According to the patrol, both Link and Pendley were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.

A two-vehicle accident that occurred Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on Highway 8, near Racetrack Road in Washington County, resulted in minor injuries for a St. Louis couple.

MSHP reports the accident took place when an eastbound 2004 Saturn Ion driven by Lane A. Burnes, 23, of Bonne Terre, was slowing to make a turn onto country road and was hit in the rear by the front end of a 2003 Buick Century driven by Eugene C. Schlarman, 85, of St. Louis, who had failed to observe the slowing vehicle.

Both Schlarman and his wife, Pauline M. Schlarman, 85, were transported by Washington County Ambulance to Washington County Hospital in Potosi where they were both treated for minor injuries.

According to the patrol, all parties were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

An 84-year-old De Soto man died after his riding lawnmower overturned on a steep embankment.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the man started mowing around 3 p.m. Friday five miles east of De Soto. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says the man’s wife reported the accident shortly after 6:30 p.m. after she went looking for him and found his body.

The man identified as Joseph Merritt Sr. was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to De Soto Rural Fire Chief Paul Mayer, when personnel arrived on the scene, it was discovered that Merritt had been trapped under the lawn tractor for a long period of time.