Benton police are continuing to investigate a fatal single-vehicle accident Monday night that claimed the life of 76-year-old Cecil Bennett, of Benton.
According to authorities, Bennett was northbound on Grand Street shortly after 6 p.m. when he failed to stop his pickup truck at the intersection of Route 14 and Grand. His vehicle crossed Route 14 (Bailey Lane), jumped a ditch and hit a car in the parking lot of Fred’s a local retail store. The truck then continued and came to rest in a ditch on the northeast side of the store.
Franklin County Coroner Marty Leffler said that Bennett was pronounced dead at Franklin County Hospital at 6:48 p.m. His wife, Helen, 71, was airlifted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis for treatment of major injuries. Her condition was listed as critical on Tuesday morning.
Witnesses to the crash said the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed on Grand Street and never attempted to stop at the intersection. Leffler said the cause of Bennett’s death will be determined after radiology and toxicology tests are completed. The crash is under investigation by Benton police, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and the coroner’s office.
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.