A fatal accident occurred on Mitchell Road, two miles east of St. Joseph, claiming the life of a 47-year-old El Paso man, Tomas R. Ramos, on September 1, 2023, at approximately 8:50 p.m. The accident report was released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, led by Trooper A. M. Mapel.
According to the report, Ramos was driving a 2014 GMC 1500 eastbound on Mitchell Road when he failed to negotiate a curve. The truck veered off the south side of the road and initially struck an embankment with its front passenger-side fender. The vehicle continued to travel eastbound in the ditch and subsequently collided with another embankment, this time impacting the front driver’s side fender.
Ramos was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. The GMC 1500 began to rotate counterclockwise and came to rest in the ditch, facing northwest. Ramos was found 20 feet west of the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene by Buchanan County Medical Examiner Major Thomas Cates at 23:15 hours.
Ramos was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, and the vehicle was towed from the scene by Blue Knight Towing. The GMC 1500 is considered to have sustained total damage.
Trooper Mapel was assisted at the scene by Corporal J. D. Maudlin, Trooper S. P. Gomez, and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office.
