April 6, 2016

NEW MADRID, Mo. - A driver was killed when he drove in the wrong direction on Interstate 55. At 6:12 p.m. Thursday, Dennis J. Tittle, 67, of Marston was driving southbound in the northbound lane of the interstate, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's report. ...

NEW MADRID, Mo. - A driver was killed when he drove in the wrong direction on Interstate 55.

At 6:12 p.m. Thursday, Dennis J. Tittle, 67, of Marston was driving southbound in the northbound lane of the interstate, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's report. Tittle's vehicle struck a northbound vehicle driven by Barbara Rihmond, 52, of Gosnell, Ark.; a northbound bus driven by Carlos I. Quinones, 46, of Durango, Mexico; a northbound car driven by Dick L. Schmidt, 68, of Omaha, Neb.; a northbound car driven by Ty G. Treutelaar, 56, of St. Louis and a northbound tractor-trailer rig driven by Michael J. Pierce, 49, of Grinnell, Iowa.

Tittle was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:34 p.m. by New Madrid County Coroner George DeLisle. The death is the 12th fatality reported this year in the Troop E area.

Moderately injured in the accident was Rihmond and a passenger in her vehicle, Tomora T. Smith, 43, of Gosnell, Ark.; Treutelaar and Schmidt. Receiving serious injuries was a passenger in Schmidt's vehicle, Theresa A. Schmidt, 67, of Omaha. The Schmidts were taken by ambulance to Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston while the others were taken by ambulance to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau for treatment.

Assisting the Patrol at the scene were the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department, New Madrid County Ambulance District, Portageville Police Department, New Madrid City Fire Department, Sikeston Fire Department, Parma Police, Lilbourn Fire Department and the Portageville Fire Department.

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