PATTON, Mo. (AP) – A 49-year-old man is accused of causing a southeast Missouri crash that killed two people riding a motorcycle.
Bollinger County prosecutors charged Paul E. Patton with two involuntary manslaughter counts. Online court records don’t show whether he has an attorney.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says a pickup truck driven by Patton crossed into the motorcycle’s path Sunday afternoon. The victims were 58-year-old Richard Augustine and 60-year-old Debra Smith, both of Farmington.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that according to court documents, Patton told a state trooper he lost control of the vehicle after a dog jumped in his lap. Patton also allegedly said he had consumed mixed drinks and beer and had taken several Percocet pills for back pain. The trooper said Patton refused a breath test.
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