A 68-year-old man from Willow Springs died on Thursday, Sept. 24, after a head-on collision involving a Buick Century and a Kawasaki Vulcan on Highway 95, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred at 10:07 a.m., approximately four miles south of Mountain Grove. Authorities reported that a southbound 1999 Buick Century, driven by a 19-year-old man from Ava, crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a northbound 2008 Kawasaki Vulcan.
The Willow Springs man, operating the motorcycle, was transported to Cox South Hospital in Springfield, where he was pronounced dead at 11:54 a.m. The Highway Patrol confirmed he was wearing safety equipment at the time of the incident.
According to the report, the driver of the Buick Century was not wearing a seatbelt, and no injury information was provided regarding him. Both vehicles were deemed totaled and were towed from the scene by Mayfield’s Towing of Mountain Grove.
Investigation of the crash was conducted by Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper N. M. Bogart, with assistance from Corporal T. L. Brown and Troopers J. L. Sentman and J. V. Bondurant. The incident marks the 23rd traffic fatality in Troop G for 2026, a decrease from 26 fatalities during the same timeframe in 2025. Next of kin have been notified.