Troop F traffic fatalities nearly double, and water drowning incidents see an increase
Melissa Houston
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Online traffic crash reports from the Missouri State Highway Patrol show that traffic fatalities in Troop F have nearly doubled so far this year compared to the same time period in 2025.
MSHP Troop F — which covers much of Mid-Missouri, including Boone and Cole counties –has reported 35 deadly crashes in 2026, marking an 84% increase from the 19 fatalities reported by this time last year.
This year initially began with fewer traffic deaths until February, when numbers started to level out before gradually surpassing last year’s numbers. MSHP Sgt. Kyle Green said traffic fatalities usually run in waves.
“If you look at the overall fatalities in Troop F, we were up for this time last year,” Green said. “But if you were to look at it just a couple of months ago, you would have saw that we were down 40-something percent.”
Green said there are no specific driving patterns contributing to the spike, but just like most fatalities it can be caused by preventable driving behaviors.
“It’s inattention. It’s speeding, it’s people, you know, operating their vehicle while impaired,” Green said.
State traffic crash maps show that Highway 54 has been the deadliest stretch of road in Troop F’s coverage area this year, with eight fatalities. Interstate 70 followed with four deaths, and Highway 63 had two deaths. In comparison, at this time in 2025, four deaths occurred on Highway 63, two on Highway 54, and none on I-70.
The majority of the crashes from this year have occurred during the daytime with clear road visibility, according to the state traffic crash map. However, Green said the installation of construction zones is a contributing factor.
“We’ve got an increase in construction zones along I-70, and so that has led to some additional crashes and other incidents,” Green said.
He also recommends that people leave early for their destinations, slow down in construction zones and remain attentive to prevent further deadly crashes.
Despite the rise in traffic deaths, Green said in comparison to statewide statistics, Troop F is lower than the state average by 3%.
In addition to traffic fatalities, the MSHP online boat/drowning incident report shows that drowning deaths within Troop F have also seen an increase compared to last year’s numbers.
So far in 2026, five drownings have been reported, compared to the two during the same time in 2025. Three of this year’s drownings occurred at Lake of the Ozarks.
The Lake of the Ozarks is expected to see an increase in boat traffic over the weekend due to Independence Day celebrations, and Green said he is hoping that everyone is making safety their priority anytime they are near the water.
“You can be the greatest swimmer out there, but if you enter that water where you’re injured or some type of medical emergency and you’re not conscious, obviously you’re not gonna be able to swim,” Green said. “Or it’s gonna be extremely difficult to.”
Green is recommends adults and children wear life jackets any time they are near the water.