Three killed when driver swerves to miss animal, striking tree, Missouri police say

Three young adults were killed and three more were injured in a crash on Saturday, Dec. 3, when a truck crashed into a tree, Missouri police say.

The crash happened around 7 p.m. on Interstate 55 in Scott County in southeastern Missouri, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Audrey Smith, 20, was driving a Ford F-150 when she swerved to miss an animal in the roadway. The vehicle ran off the road, striking a tree, highway patrol said.

Smith, of Bridgeton, Missouri, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two others — 19-year-old Mallory Carter, of Brighton, Illinois, and Andrew Marzuco, 20, of Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, also died at the site of the crash.

Three others in the truck were hospitalized in Cape Girardeau with minor to moderate injuries. Their ages range from 20 to 24, according to highway patrol.

It’s unknown if the driver was wearing a seat belt, but officials said all five passengers were.

This story was originally published December 5, 2022 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Three killed when driver swerves to miss animal, striking tree, Missouri police say."