Springfield man killed on Highway 5 as residents call for safety improvements

Springfield man killed on Highway 5 as residents call for safety improvements

A 49-year-old Springfield man died following a crash on Highway 5 Wednesday evening, adding to concerns among Lebanon-area residents who want safety improvements along the highway.

The crash happened at 7:59 p.m. Sept. 16, just north of Greenfield Road in Laclede County. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a southbound 2021 Kia Sorento crossed the center of the roadway and collided with a northbound 2021 Freightliner Cascadia.

The Kia’s driver was ejected, and the Freightliner traveled off the right side of the road. Both drivers were taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Lebanon, where the Springfield man was pronounced dead at 8:44 p.m.

The Freightliner’s driver, a 58-year-old man from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, suffered minor injuries. The patrol reported that he was wearing a seat belt and the Kia’s driver was not. Neither driver was named in the report. The Springfield man’s family had been notified.

His death was one of two documented on Highway 5 in Laclede County during the nearly one-year period examined by Lebanon Now.

A review of Highway Patrol reports with crash dates spanning Sept. 21, 2025, through Sept. 16, 2026, found 12 crashes along the route. Those crashes killed two people and left four others seriously injured. Another three people suffered moderate injuries, and 11 sustained minor injuries.

Five of the 12 crashes involved a death or serious injury.

On July 24, a crash at Highway 5 and Orchard Drive killed a 10-year-old child from Geneseo, Illinois. A 34-year-old from the same city suffered serious injuries, while two other people were moderately injured.

Serious injuries were also reported in Highway 5 crashes at Hazel Road on Aug. 7, near Atlanta Road on April 23 and near Olathe Drive on Dec. 4, 2025.

As residents call for changes, responsibility for the highway is an important distinction. Highway 5 is a state-maintained road under the Missouri Department of Transportation, rather than a city- or county-maintained road. MoDOT handles highway maintenance and improvements, including work on the route’s Jefferson Avenue segment inside Lebanon. MoDOT’s Route 5 maintenance announcement

Across Laclede County, Highway Patrol reports document 102 crashes during the same period. Eight people died, 21 suffered serious injuries, 33 were moderately injured and 92 sustained minor injuries.

Highway 5 accounted for about 12% of those crashes and one-quarter of the fatal crashes.

The figures include Highway 5 locations north and south of Lebanon, not just inside city limits. They also represent only crashes investigated by the Highway Patrol. Wrecks handled solely by city police or county officers do not appear in the patrol’s online reports. Highway Patrol reporting information

Lebanon police, the Laclede County Sheriff’s Office and Lebanon City Fire Department assisted troopers at Wednesday’s crash. The Kia was totaled, and both vehicles were towed from the scene.

The Springfield man’s death was Troop I’s first traffic fatality in September and its 31st of 2026, according to the patrol.

What are your thoughts on safety along Highway 5? Share your concerns and ideas with us at Ryan@lebanonmonow.com.