Woman killed, boy seriously injured after crashing into cow on Highway 5 Monday night

A Norwood woman was killed Monday night, June 17, on Highway 5, about six and a half miles northwest of Gainesville, after hitting a cow in the roadway. 

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s online crash report, Holly P. Cooke, 31, of Norwood, was driving a 1998 Lincoln Town Car southbound on Highway 5 around 10 p.m. when she struck a cow in the highway about six miles north of Gainesville. She had a 10-year-old boy as a passenger. 

Holly was pronounced dead by Ozark County Coroner Gene Britt at 10:45 p.m., and her next of kin was notified. The boy sustained serious injuries and was flown by helicopter ambulance to Mercy Children’s Hospital in Springfield. 

The report says that Holly was not wearing a seatbelt, but the boy was properly secured in one. The crash was a total loss and was towed from the scene by Ron’s Recovery of Gainesville at the trooper’s request. It is unknown if the vehicle had insurance, the report says. 

This marks the eleventh fatality crash in MSHP’s Troop G, compared with 14 at this time last year. 

The crash was investigated by MSHP Sgt. L. S. Elliott.