Area woman dies from injuries in crash

Cole County First Responders work to remove a young woman from her vehicle after she ran off eastbound U.S 54, drove through the median and became airborne before crashing into Neighorn Creek bank, just south of Route CC. The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating the accident that occurred shortly after 10 a.m. Monday. Photo by Julie Smith.

By News Tribune

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

A Lake Ozark woman died from injuries she suffered in a one-car accident at 9:55 a.m. Monday on U.S. 54, south of Route CC, in Cole County.

According to the Highway Patrol report, a 2007 Toyota Yaris, driven eastbound by Leah M. Schauf, 20, went off the left side of the road, struck an embankment and became airborne. The vehicle collided with the northern bank of the Moreau River and came to rest in the river bed.

Schauf, who was wearing a seat belt, was flown to University Hospital in Columbia.

She was pronounced dead around 12:30 p.m.

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gettingthere 4 months, 1 week ago

Okay I have to point out that someone is wrong with the location of the accident. The photo by Julie Smith clearly shows the Neighorn Creek bridge near Rt CC. The article, local radio stations, and KRCG quote the Patrol as saying the accident occurred at the Moreau River. If you are familiar with the area, you have to notice the photo. Julie does an excellent job of getting the trees and bridge railings in the photo detailing the ACTUAL location

My prayers are with the family. So much for safety improvements to that intersection.

RobHunterJohnson 4 months, 1 week ago

My thoughts and prayers as well with the family! When was that bridge built? Did we not improve this intersection recently? NT Headline this morning front page, 1 Billion a year needed to fix transit, Tim Jones, what is revnue neutral ways to boost transportation funding? The Ashcroft way 20 years ago was to convince himself we did not need to add another dime on to the Gas Tax? We would have never felt it, Tim, you need to fix these roads, take a look at the photo, exposed rebar on a retro fit to that structure, the other side of the bridge the guard rail has just been incorporated into one mass of concrete! This bridge was designed for model Ts coming down the hill, not at the speeds we drive today, I crossed that bridge with a flat trailer tire, with lake traffic one Sunday, and it was tough. I am truly sorry for the loss of Leah Schauf, but maybe this photo can bring up our poor road conditions front, and center to the current house speaker Tim Jones! FIX OUR ROADS! Rob

JCLifer 4 months, 1 week ago

The rotting concrete and rusting steel, as well as the lack of a shoulder for this bridge at this frequent accident site over the years should shame Mo-DOT and the taxpayers for wasting all that money last year for "improvements" that did not include demolition and rebuilding of a proper and safe bridge.

The roads in this state, and also the city streets in the city of Jefferson are crumbling. Why do we have so much money for social causes and bailing out millionaires and folks in forieign countries, but yet we cannot improve, let alone maintain our roads and streets?

Folks, our infrastructure is crumbling! Interest rates are at record lows. The cost of materials and labor will never be lower. The high level of unemployment assures a pool of labor to rebuild this stuff. The time will never be better to rebuild and update our streets, roads, schools, and other public infrastructure. We should have stepped up four years ago and started rebuilding this stuff, instead of giving money to Government Motors, Wall Street Bankers, and wealthy insurance executives. We are really doing the pooch on this one.

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