MOBERLY, Mo. (AP) – A Missouri man has been charged with causing a crash that killed a 75-year-old woman.
The Moberly Monitor-Index reports that a warrant was issued Thursday for the arrest of 32-year old James Hartung, of Macon. He’s charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter in the Nov. 9 death of Marlene Mathis, of Cairo.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says Hartung was driving at a speed of 89 mph and didn’t hit the brakes before his pickup truck rear-ended Mathis’ sports utility vehicle. The crash happened as Mathis slowed to turn off U.S. 63 onto a Randolph County road.
Troopers say Hartung was following too closely and wasn’t paying attention. A witness reported that Hartung was aggressively weaving in and out of traffic and passed him at a high rate of speed beforehand.