A Summersville semi-truck driver who was involved in a fatal 2020 crash in West Plains has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. The crash had resulted in the death of a woman from Dora, Anna Hambelton.
David A. Keeler, 43, was also found guilty of second-degree assault and sentenced to seven years on that conviction, to be served concurrently with the 10-year sentence. A wrongful death lawsuit filed June 29, 2020, on behalf of the victim’s family members is ongoing and lists Keeler as a defendant, along with Ozark Logistic Corporation of Summersville; R&R Express Logistics Inc., Sikeston; and R&R Express Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Court records show Keeler was to have begun a jury trial on the criminal charges July 12, but on July 10 waived his right to a jury trial and instead had a bench trial before 37th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Steven Privette, who heard the case July 12 and handed down the sentence on Sept. 5, with Keeler beginning his sentence immediately.
The charges were filed following the Jan. 20, 2020, collision at U.S. 63 and Gibson Avenue, within the jurisdiction of the West Plains Police Department. Bryan Brauer, a now-retired detective for the police department and the lead investigator of the incident, reported that at about 7:09 that evening, officers responded to the crash to find a vehicle had been struck by a tractor-trailer, and it appeared the occupants of the vehicle had serious injuries.
The occupants, driver William Hambelton and passenger Anna Hambelton, both of Dora, had to be extricated from the vehicle, and personnel from the West Plains Fire Department and South Howell County Ambulance responded to the scene to provide assistance, Brauer reported.
Brauer’s report also said that William Hambelton was taken first to Ozarks Healthcare, then transferred to a Springfield hospital for treatment of serious injuries, and was unable to make a statement at the time of the accident.
Anna Hambelton, 61, was also taken to Ozarks Healthcare for treatment but succumbed to her injuries about 40 minutes after the collision, Brauer stated, adding that Keeler was injured but refused treatment at the scene and made a statement to officers that the light had turned red and he attempted to stop when the vehicle pulled out and was struck.
Four witnesses were also interviewed at the scene and said Keeler’s semi was traveling north on U.S. 63, did not slow down, and ran the red light, striking the Hambeltons’ vehicle. An additional two witnesses were later interviewed, according to court records, and also told investigators the semi failed to stop for the red light or slow down.
Evidence at the scene showed the semi, a 2015 Peterbilt pulling a flatbed trailer, was northbound in the outside lane of U.S. 63, approaching the intersection, when the light on Gibson Avenue turned green, giving William Hambelton the right-of-way to cross the highway, westbound.
Witnesses stated the Hambelton vehicle, a 2010 Pontiac G6, proceeded to cross the intersection on the green light and was struck on the driver’s side by the semi, and the impact caused the car to come to rest north of the intersection off the east side of the road.
Brauer stated during the investigation no skid marks were observed at the scene that would indicate Keeler applied the brakes, causing them to lock up at the time of the crash, and the semi continued another 981 feet after the impact before stopping on the shoulder of the road.
WEST PLAINS DAILY QUILL