Fatal Accident Reported in Benton County Saturday Afternoon

At 2:15 Saturday afternoon the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a fatality accident on County Road Southeast 1301 South of Missouri Highway “7” in Benton County. The accident reportedly occurred as the driver of a 2000 Ford Explorer 20-year-old Mark Harken of Prairie Village Kansas lost control of the vehicle, that travelled off of the roadway, struck a group of trees, and overturned coming to rest on its top. Harken and a passenger 18-year-old Clayton Miller of Kansas City Missouri suffered fatal injuries in the accident, and were taken to Golden Valley Hospital in Clinton, and Reser Funeral Home in Warsaw respectively.  Four other victims identified as 19-year-old David Draxler, and 20-year-old Lukas Fleming  of Prairie Village, 20-year-old Gage Hamilton of Overland Park Kansas, and 20-year-old Evan Westhoff of Fairway Kansas received serious injuries in the crash, and were life flighted to hospitals in Missouri and Kansas for treatment.