The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published October 12, 2022

Two people are dead in three vehicle accident

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – Two people have died in a three-vehicle accident last Friday in Camden County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) at 6:08 p.m. on Northbound Highway 5 north of Mt. Horeb Road, a 2006 Chevrolet HHR, driven by Ashley Dinkins, 24, of Camdenton, MO, was traveling south when she attempted to pass a 2013 Ford Edge, driven by Samantha Lucas, 32, of Falcon, MO.

The HHR was struck by a northbound 2020 International LT625, driven by Joel Montgomery, 40, of Birmingham, AL, ejecting two passengers in the HHR.

The HHR then hit the front of the Ford Edge.

Jasmine Chaplain, 21, of Sunrise Beach, MO and Christopher Trout, 26, of Lake Ozark, MO, were pronounced dead at the scene by Crystal Lloyd with the Camden County Medical Examiner’s office. The MSHP said neither was wearing a seat belt.

Dinkins received moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach, MO. She was wearing a seat belt.

Another passenger in the HHR, Damien Croft, 27, of Camdenton, MO, suffered minor injuries and was also taken by ambulance to Lake Regional. He was not wearing a seat belt.

Lucas suffered moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional. She was wearing a seat belt.

This is troop F’s first and second fatalities for October and 60 and 61 for 2022.

In other accidents last week in the lake area:

A Gravois Mills man was seriously injured in a one-vehicle accident on Sunday September 2.

At 11:17 p.m. on Highway 5 north of Wildwood Drive in Morgan County, a 2018 Ford F150, driven by Lee Loman, 58, of Gravois Mills, MO, was southbound when the vehicle went off the right side of the road and hit a rock embankment. The truck then went airborne, hit a tree and overturned.

Loman suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach, MO. It was unknown if he was wearing a seat belt. The truck was totaled in the accident.

Another single-vehicle accident sent two to the hospital last Tuesday (October 4).

At 5:40 p.m. on Alum Springs Road north of Kickapoo Road in Morgan County, a 2005 GMC Yukon, driven by Kellie Wood, 22, of Versailles, MO, was traveling north when, according to the MSHP, she was “traveling too fast to negotiate a curve.” The GMC began to skid, went across the center of the roadway and off the left side of the road.

She overcorrected and returned to the roadway, crossed the center of the road again and went off the right side of the road and overturned.

Wood received moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital. She was wearing a seat belt.

A 15-year-old juvenile female in the car had minor injuries and was also taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital. She was wearing a seat belt. The vehicle had extensive damage in the crash.

Last Saturday an accident sent a Savannah, MO man to the hospital.

The MSHP reported that at 12:56 p.m. at 28170 Highway 135 in Morgan County, Joshua Adkins, 39, of Savannah, MO, was driving a 2018 Can-Am Maverick south when the vehicle negotiated a steep embankment.

Adkins made an immediate left turn causing the vehicle to overturn several times down the embankment.

He received serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional. He was wearing a safety device. The Can-Am had minor damage.