Two men and a woman were injured Friday evening in separate accidents involving tractors along U.S. Highway 71.

The two men were driving tractors north to Maryville for Saturdays Heart of America Tractor cruise when they were involved in accidents about two hours apart.

The first accident happened at 5:39 when a 2004 Nissan driven by Shirley Burgess of St Joseph slammed into the back of a 1959 John Deere nine miles south of Maryville, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol.

60-year-old Burgess was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Maryville with moderate injuries.  70-year-old Larry Haist of Barnard, driver of the tractor, suffered serious injuries and was also taken to St. Francis.

The accident backed up both northbound lanes of traffic while emergency workers cleaned-up the accident scene.

The second accident came at 7:50 p.m. six miles south of Maryville when a car full of 19-year -old’s crashed into the back of a 1953 Farmall tractor, breaking the tractor in half.

47-year-old Mark Beggs, driver of the tractor, was taken to St. Francis with moderate injuries. Driver of the Chevy Malibu, Keenan Joiner, along with Colton Mattson, Adam Thompson, and Christopher Winans, all 19 of Maryville, were not injurued in the accident.