Three dead in accident northwest of Houston

Three people from Roby – a man, a woman and a 5-year-old girl – were pronounced dead after a car crash on Highway 17 Tuesday afternoon, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

Tommy L. Federico, 23, of Roby, was driving a 2000 Lincoln car southbound on Highway 17, 10 miles northwest of Houston, when he went off the right side of the road, returned to the pavement, skidded sideways and centered crossed the road and crashed head-on into a northbound 2022 U.S. Forest Service Ford pickup truck driven by John W. Raney, 26, of Houston, the patrol said. Both vehicles overturned.

The tragedy sent numerous emergency responders and medical helicopters to the scene, which authorities said was near Roubidoux Road and Highway 17. Firefighters set up a landing zone near Highways 38 and 17.

Federico and two passengers, Helen L. Drury, 25, of Roby, and a 5-year-old girl, were all pronounced dead and taken to Evans Funeral Home in Houston. Another passenger, a 3-year-old girl, was airlifted to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City with serious injuries. A 1-year-old boy was taken to University Hospital in Columbia with moderate injuries. Next of kin have been notified.

These are Troop G’s 18th, 19th and 20th deaths in 2024, compared to 27 in 2023.

The accident was investigated by TPR. Zayne B. Tate. Assisting were MCIU team member Cpl. KR Waters, Cpl. Jacob R. Sellars, Cpl. DW Henley, Tpr. Nathan B. Poynter and Tpr. IV Brutsky-Stempkovsky.

After the accident at 1:25 p.m., emergency services and the fire department were on site for several hours. Both vehicles were totaled.