Fatal accident

Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette

A tree, saplings and underbrush hide from passersby on the highway a car involved in an accident early today. Nebraska State Patrol Sgt. Joel Smith reported three fatalities in the vehicle, which struck a tree in the west ditch along U.S. Highway 83 about two miles south of McCook.

Killed were driver Jason Lee West, 23, Limon, Colo., and passengers Fallon Dyer, 19, Oberlin, Kan., and Jessica Bovee-Gammuto, 16, Cheyenne, Wyo. All were pronounced dead at the scene; none were wearing seatbelts.

According to Smith's report, the southbound car drifted off the roadway and onto a grass shoulder when the driver lost control whil attempting to steer back onto the roadway, re-entering the west ditch and striking a tree at a high rate of speed.

Although the accident was reported at 6:40 a.m., the actual time of the accident is still under investigation.

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