Two wrecks in the southbound lanes of U.S. Route 63 north of Columbia on Thursday, Jan. 23 claimed the lives of three area residents, including two from Moberly.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to the first crash around 4:25 p.m. just before the intersection with Pinnacles Road. Troopers say a BMW driven by a 55-year-old Moberly man was heading north on the highway when it crossed the median into the southbound lanes for an unknown reason. The vehicle then collided head-on with a sedan driven by a 32-year-old man from Centralia. The Centralia driver was pronounced dead on the scene, while the Moberly driver died after being taken to a Columbia hospital.

Just over an hour later, as traffic was stopped in the southbound lanes, troopers say a 20-year-old from Higbee was distracted as he was driving a Jeep and failed to slow down in time, striking the rear of a Ford Bronco driven by a 25-year-old Moberly man. A 39-year-old woman in the Bronco was pronounced dead at the scene. The Bronco’s driver and a 46-year-old passenger in the vehicle suffered moderate injuries, while a 47-year-old passenger and the Jeep driver both received minor injuries. All four were taken to a Columbia hospital.