Lawson, Mo. (Jan. 29, 2026) — A 22-year-old Lawson man died, and three other people were injured early Jan. 29 in a three-vehicle crash on Route PP in Clinton County, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.
The collision occurred at 6:05 a.m. on Route PP, one mile west of U.S. 69 and about three miles northwest of Lawson, in Troop H.
Chain-reaction crash on Route PP
Investigators with the Highway Patrol reported that a 2015 Toyota Highlander was traveling west on Route PP when it entered the eastbound lane and into the path of a 2022 Freightliner trash truck.
The westbound SUV struck the eastbound trash truck head-on in the eastbound lane. The force of that impact pushed the Toyota into the path of a westbound 2017 GMC Sierra van.
The front of the GMC then hit the rear of the Toyota, creating a chain-reaction crash.
All three vehicles came to rest on the north shoulder of Route PP, the report states. The Toyota came to rest facing north, the Freightliner facing east and the GMC facing northwest.
All vehicles sustained total damage and were towed from the scene by Scotty’s Towing of Cameron.
The crash was investigated by Cpl. V. R. McBride, with assistance from the Major Crash Investigation Unit Team 1 and Trooper J. D. Conrad. Additional Highway Patrol personnel and the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department also assisted at the scene, according to the report.
One fatality, three transported to area hospitals
The driver of the Toyota Highlander, a 22-year-old man from Lawson, was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:26 a.m.
The driver of the GMC Sierra, a 26-year-old man from Lawson, suffered serious injuries. He was transported by air ambulance to Truman Medical Center in Kansas City.
The 30-year-old Independence woman driving the Freightliner trash truck and their passenger, a 38-year-old man from Plattsburg, were taken by Holt ambulance to Liberty Hospital, according to the report.
1/29/26, 10:15pm: Correction: An earlier version of this story had the wrong gender for the driver of the Freightliner Trash Truck in the crash.
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