Dropped cellphone leads to serious-injury head-on crash on Missouri highway

CAMERON, Mo. (KCTV) - A 19-year-old driver was seriously injured after she dropped her cellphone and crashed head-on into another vehicle on a rural Missouri highway.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol indicates that around 5:10 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, emergency crews were called to the area of westbound Route BB and Tri-County Line Rd., about 1 mile east of Cameron, with reports of a 2-vehicle crash.

When first responders arrived, they said they found a 19-year-old Cameron woman had been headed east on Route BB in a 2014 Ford Focus. Meanwhile, a 55-year-old Cameron woman had been headed west in a 2018 Lincoln MKX.

Investigators noted that both drivers had been rounding a curve when the 19-year-old dropped her phone. As she attempted to grab it, her Ford drifted across the center line and entered the path of the Lincoln. The vehicles met in a head-on collision.

Emergency crews said the 19-year-old driver was taken to Liberty Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The 55-year-old driver was taken to Cameron Regional Medical Center by private vehicle with suspected minor injuries.

State Troopers indicated that everyone involved had been wearing a seatbelt at the time. Both vehicles were totaled as a result. No further information has been released.

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