A Sedalia teenager lost his life after a crash involving his pickup on a southern Pettis County roadway Saturday, Dec. 28.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the crash occurred just before 11 a.m. on Smasal Road, a mile west of Route U. According to the patrol’s report, the 17-year-old was driving his pickup east when it went off the roadway, crashing into a creek embankment. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. An 18-year-old passenger sustained moderate injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. Troopers say neither person in the truck was wearing their seat belt at the time of the crash.

The patrol says that Troop A has responded to 73 fatal crashes in 2024, accounting for 81 fatalities.