(St. Francois County, MO.) Officials with the Highway Patrol are recommending a citation against the driver of the pick up truck that crashed into a Mennonite buggy on Highway OO, south of the intersection with Route DD in St. Francois County. The wreck, which took place July 11th, killed 7 year old Mervin Shirk and seriously injured two of his siblings and other family members. Corporal Juston Wheetley, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, says they are citing the driver of the pick up, 16 year old Christopher W. Kazmierczak, of Fredericktown, for careless and imprudent driving involving the death of another yet there could be other charges. If there are, Wheetley says they would come from the county prosecutor.
KFMO B104 News contacted St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney, Melissa Gilliam,and she tells us there has been no decision on any charges yet from her office. 6 members of the Shirk Family were riding in their horse drawn buggy headed north on Highway OO when a pick up truck driven north by Kazmierczak crashed into the rear of the buggy. According to Highway Patrol reports the force of the crash threw all 6 people from the buggy. Troopers with the Patrol also indicate inattentive driving caused the driver of the pick up not to see the buggy in time to stop before the crash.