Patrol reports 10 fatalities over 2020 Thanksgiving holiday

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports 10 people died in traffic crashes during this year’s Thanksgiving holiday counting period--from 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020.
During the Thanksgiving holiday counting period, troopers report the following traffic statistics for 2020 (preliminary): Crashes, 321; injuries, 72; fatalities, 9; DWI, 100; drug arrests, 78.
During the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday counting period, troopers investigated 404 traffic crashes, which included seven fatalities and 166 injuries. Statewide, 11 people died and 634 people were injured in 1,594 traffic crashes over last year’s Thanksgiving holiday. Troopers arrested 94 people for driving while intoxicated and made 63 drug arrests during the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday counting period.
Of the nine traffic crash fatalities troopers investigated, three fatalities occurred in the Troop C, Weldon Spring, MO, area; two fatalities occurred in both the Troop E, Poplar Bluff, MO, and Troop G, Willow Springs, MO, areas; and one fatality occurred in each of the Troop D, Springfield, MO, and Troop H, St. Joseph, MO, areas. The Springfield Police Department worked the remaining fatality.
One traffic fatality occurred on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 2020. Daniel Roberts, 52, of Republic, died when the vehicle in which he was a passenger was struck by another vehicle as it made a left turn from Glenstone Avenue into a parking lot. The crash occurred in Springfield. The driver of Roberts’ vehicle sustained injuries in the crash. The driver and a passenger in the second vehicle sustained injuries in the crash; one passenger in that vehicle was not injured.
Keith Czarniak, 66, of Springfield, died when the vehicle he was driving traveled off the right side of the roadway, became airborne, and overturned. Czarniak was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. The crash occurred in Christian County on Missouri Highway H south of Chadwick. Christian County Coroner Mandi Armitage pronounced Czarniak dead at the scene.
There were zero boating crashes, zero boating fatalities, zero drownings, and zero boating while intoxicated arrests reported during the 2020 Thanksgiving holiday counting period.