A West Plains woman was pronounced dead the morning after she was thrown from a utility vehicle into a truck in Howell County, and a West Plains man was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Sunday evening accident three miles south of West Plains led to the death of 49-year-old Candy Gilliam, and 26-year-old Robert Mattes has been released from the Howell County jail.
Gilliam was a passenger in the UTV driven by 49-year-old Ricky Ledbetter of West Plains traveling southbound on County Road 8530. A vehicle driven by Mattes of West Plains traveled northbound and struck the UTV head-on. The UTV overturned ejecting Gilliam into a truck parked on the roadway performing utility maintenance.
Gilliam and Ledbetter were transported by air ambulance to Cox Medical Center South in Springfield. Gilliam was pronounced dead Monday morning at 9:00. A hospital spokesperson says Ledbetter remains listed as a patient, but a condition report was unavailable.
Mattes sought his own medical treatment. He was booked on charges of driving while intoxicated involving an accident with serious physical injury, careless and imprudent driving, no insurance and failure to register a motor vehicle.
The UTV was totaled in the 5:35 p.m. accident, and Mattes’ vehicle had extensive damage. No damage was reported to the truck.
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