A Cassville man was injured on Sept. 3 in a wreck at 11:55 a.m. on Main Street in Cassville, with the vehicle coming to rest after striking the Barry County E9-1-1 communications tower.

According to a Cassville Police Department report, a 2016 GMC Sierra, being driven by Gary Lester, born 1950, of Cassville. was traveling southbound on Business 37 (Main Street) while pulling a Gooseneck stock trailer. The driver suffered an unknown medical condition, causing the vehicle to go off the right side of the roadway, striking a culvert at the entrance to Crowder College, then continuing straight and striking the city limit sign, where the trailer disconnected from the vehicle.

The truck then reentered the roadway and ran off the left side, continuing through the yard at Barry Electric into the Barry County E9-1-1 yard. There, it struck a concrete-based metal light pole and continued straight, striking two curbs, a chain link fence and the communications tower.

Lester suffered injuries and was transported to Mercy Hospital in Springfield.

Two witnesses said they heard the crash and saw the trailer and truck go across the roadway and wreck.

Mike Phillips, Barry County E9-1-1 director, said the crash did not affect operations at the facility, though it did come within inches of likely causing a serious issue. Phillips said due to the incident, plans are in the works to put concrete poles around the tower to prevent a similar scenario. Trees previously surrounding the tower and providing a barrier have been removed in the last year due to storm damage.

According to a report from the Cassville Fire Protection District, which also responded to the scene, Mercy EMS provided patient care at the scene after the driver appeared to have experienced a medical emergency prior to the incident.

Personnel from Barry Electric and Barry County E9-1-1 were instrumental in assisting with patient care prior to emergency services arriving, the report said.

“Those folks definitely make people proud to be part of a small, closeknit community like ours where people just jump in and assist whenever the opportunity presents itself,” said Derek Acheson, Cassville Fire Protection District chief.