By Sunni Battin
Special to the Journal

The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) is investigating a four-vehicle crash that resulted in the death of a 23-year-old woman from Old Monroe and sent three teens to the hospital.

The fifth fatal traffic accident in Lincoln County in 2025 occurred Thursday afternoon around 4:40 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Highway 61 and Route K, about five miles north of Troy.

According to MSHP reports, the driver of an eastbound 2017 Hyundai Sonata on Highway K failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection with southbound Highway 61. The woman’s Hyundai crossed into the intersection and collided with a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu traveling south on Highway 61 with three female teenagers ages 16 and 17. After the first impact, the Hyundai overturned and struck a 2013 Buick LaCrosse driven by a 45-year-old St. Peters woman and a 2024 Ford F-150 that were traveling northbound on US 61. A 45-year-old man from Bemijidi, Minn., was driving the ford pickup truck.

The three teens in the Chevrolet Malibu had moderate injuries. They are from Lincoln County and neighboring Pike County. The driver is a 16-year-old from Eolia and the two passengers, a 16-year-old from Silex and a 17-year-old from Clarksville.

The driver of the Hyundai from Old Monroe was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:53 p.m. According to Lincoln County Coroner Dan Heavin, the next of kin for the woman who died has been notified. Additionally, toxicology reports are pending.

The 2024 Ford F-150 incurred moderate damage and was driven away from the scene. The other three vehicles were towed.