LINCOLN COUNTY – One year after a stark decrease in traffic fatalities, Lincoln County added two more in the last week to push the 2025 pace back to a possible record high.

In a span of six days, Lincoln County recorded its seventh and eighth fatalities of the year, or two more than were recorded in all of 2024.

The six fatalities in 2024 represented a near 70 percent decrease from 2023 when a record 19 people died in motor vehicle accidents in Lincoln County.

The seventh fatality of 2025 occurred Tuesday, May 27 on Route J, north of Lake Forest Drive.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 7:03 a.m., a 2002 Nissan Sentra driven by an 18-year-old Winfield resident traveled off the right side of the highway. The driver overcorrected, returned the vehicle to the road and began to skid.

The Sentra crossed the centerline and struck a 2003 Buick LeSabre, which overturned off the right side of the highway.

The 63-year-old driver of the Buick, from Wright City, was pronounced dead Mercy Hospital. The driver of the Sentra was ejected from the vehicle and came to rest south of the Buick. He suffered serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis for treatment.

Neither driver was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the Highway Patrol.

Monday night, a 13-year-old student from Troy Middle School, identified as Aubrey Wilson, died in a one-vehicle accident.

According to the Highway Patrol, Wilson was driving a 2001 Kawasaki side-by-side on Sugar Ridge Road, one mile north of Route WW.

Wilson apparently drove the vehicle off the road and overturned.

While the accident occurred at 12:40 p.m., Wilson was transported by ambulance to St. Joseph Lake St. Louis Hospital. She was pronounced death there six hours later.

A GoFund me account has been established to help raise funds for the family and can be located at https://gofund.me/18f1356a.

A candlelight vigil has also been scheduled in Wilson’s memory for 8:30 p.m. at the Troy City Park, ballfield number one.