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Ava Man Dies In Wreck South Of Norwood Friday Morning

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that an Ava man died in a one-vehicle crash in Wright County early last Friday morning.

Erec L. Hambelton, 40, was traveling south on Route C, two miles south of Norwood, when the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser he was driving ran off the left side of the road and overturned. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the car, according to the Troop G Patrol report.

The wreck occurred at 2:10 a.m. and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:51 a.m. by Dr. Spain of Mercy Hospital.

The body was initially taken to Craig-Hurtt Funeral Home in Mtn. Grove. Funeral services were held at Clinkingbeard Funeral Home in Ava on Tuesday this week.

This is the fifth traffic fatality investigated by Troop G in 2016, compared to one fatality at the same time a year ago.

The Highway Patrol reported that a Seymour man escaped injury in a wreck Thursday, Feb. 18, in Douglas County.

Samuel D. Atnip, 44, was driving south on Route K, .4 mile west of County Road 517 in a 1993 International truck when the trailer he was towing ran off the side of the roadway and overturned. The Highway Patrol reported that the only damage was to the asphalt and the load, and the truck was driven from the scene.

That wreck occurred at 9:17 a.m.

Larry Dryer, 62, of Ava, was taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital, Springfield, Tuesday morning following a one-vehicle wreck west of Ava.

The Highway Patrol reported that Dryer was traveling west on Highway 14, three miles west of Ava, when his 2006 Nissan Sentra ran off the roadway and struck a dirt embankment.

Dryer, who sustained minor injuries, was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash according to the Troop G report.