Thornfield man dies in crash on Highway 14

Mason O. Morpeth, 25, of Thornfield, was killed in a crash on Highway 14 in Douglas County, about 11 miles east of Ava, Thursday, June 8, when a trailer came loose from an oncoming vehicle and hit Morpeth’s truck.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s online crash report, Morpeth was traveling westbound on Highway 14 in a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 around 1:30 p.m. June 8 when he met an oncoming eastbound 2008 GMC Sierra driven by 52-year-old Scottie Plumb of Ava. As the two vehicles were about to meet, a trailer being towed by the Sierra became detached from the truck, crossed the centerline and struck Morpeth’s truck in the driver’s door. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. Andrew Wylie from Cox South Hospital at 2:15 p.m. 

Morpeth’s truck was extensively damaged and towed from the scene. Plumb was uninjured, and his truck was not damaged, the report says. 

The crash was investigated by MSHP Sgt. L. S. Elliott with assistance by the MSHP Major Crash Investigation Unit Cpl. K. R. Waters. The crash marks the 13th fatality crash in MSHP’s Troop G, compared with 11 fatal crashes at this time last year.