A Friday night drive east of Cameron turned tragic when a four-vehicle collision on Old U.S. 36 killed a 71-year-old Cameron man and left one passenger hospitalized. The crash, which happened just before 9:30 p.m. about five miles east of Cameron in Caldwell County, involved three classic Chevrolets and a modern Hyundai.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the wreck tied together a 1931 Chevy 5-window coupe, a 1936 Chevy two-door sedan, a 1973 Chevy Nova and a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. Emergency crews took the 71-year-old driver of the 1936 sedan to Cameron Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. A passenger from that sedan was transported to Liberty Hospital, and troopers reported no other injuries.
State troopers: Hyundai crossed the center line
The Missouri State Highway Patrol told JC Post that a 17-year-old girl from Kidder was driving the eastbound 2017 Hyundai Elantra on Old U.S. 36 when her car crossed the center line. Troopers say the Hyundai first struck the rear of a westbound 1931 Chevy 5-window coupe, then slammed head-on into a westbound 1936 Chevy two-door sedan.
In the chain reaction that followed, a westbound 1973 Chevy Nova then rear-ended the 1936 sedan, turning the scene into a four-vehicle pileup. Investigators reported that the 71-year-old driving the 1936 sedan was taken to Cameron Regional Medical Center, where EMS pronounced him deceased.
Classic cars and seat-belt risks
Troopers noted that the 1936 Chevy sedan was not equipped with seat belts, while the other drivers involved in the crash were properly restrained. That detail jumps out to safety officials, since restraint use is a major factor in whether people walk away from serious crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s latest data back that up: an NHTSA 2023 occupant-protection fact sheet reports that about half of passenger-vehicle occupants killed in 2023 were unrestrained, and it provides state-by-state context on seat-belt use. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2024 "22,713 passenger vehicle occupants were killed" and "Nearly 50% of those killed were not buckled (based on known seat belt use)."
Investigation ongoing
The Missouri State Highway Patrol told JC Post that it does not release the names of crash victims. Troopers reported no additional injuries at the scene.
Investigators are still working the case at Old U.S. 36 and Northwest Center Road and have not released any further information about the collision.
