Two women ejected from truck bed near Patrick Bridge; driver said to have BAC nearly four times the legal limit

A trip to the North Fork of the White River ended with a helicopter ambulance transport for one woman last week when, according to authorities, David A. Frazier, 51, of the Hollister area, crashed his truck, ejecting the woman and another passenger, who were riding in the bed of the vehicle with their kayaks. 

The crash occurred July 13, 2026, at one of Ozark County's busiest summer spots, Patrick Bridge. Located just off H Highway, between Caulfield and Dora, Patrick is a popular public swimming hole and take out point for canoeists and kayakers floating the North Fork of the White River. The road sees increased traffic during the summer as visitors transport boats and gear to and from the river and others use the MDC-managed public access for swimming. 

The MSHP crash report says that while giving the women a ride in the bed of a 2012 Chevy Silverado pickup around 1:30 p.m. that day, Frazier attempted to cross Patrick Bridge going northbound on H Highway. However, he didn’t make it to the bridge. Instead, he lost control of the truck on the way down the hill, running off the right side of the highway, returning to the road, then careening off the left side of the highway and striking a utility pole. 

According to a probable cause statement filed by Sgt. L. Elliott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, one of the women, a 27-year-old from Mountain Home, Arkansas, was thrown from the truck bed first when it left the right side of the roadway and appeared to escape injury. 

The second woman, a 45-year-old from Ozark, was partially ejected from the left side of the truck bed, and her head slammed into the utility pole upon the truck’s impact, causing what authorities described as serious head injuries.

A Cox South helicopter ambulance landed near the scene, and the woman was transported to the awaiting aircraft, then flown to the Springfield hospital for immediate treatment.

When Sgt. Elliott arrived, Frazier was seated in an Ozark County Sheriff's deputy's patrol vehicle. According to the probable cause statement, Frazier admitted he had been driving and displayed signs of intoxication, including slurred speech, bloodshot and watery eyes, a flushed face and the odor of alcohol. The officer also reported that Frazier was unsteady on his feet and was unable to safely complete field sobriety tests.

A preliminary breath test indicated a blood alcohol concentration of 0.315%, nearly four times over the legal driving limit of .08%, according to court records. 

Frazier was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The probable cause statement also alleges that a records check showed his driver's license was under an administrative alcohol-related driver’s license suspension. Authorities say Frazier refused to provide a blood sample after Missouri's implied consent law was read to him, prompting investigators to obtain a search warrant for the blood draw later that day.

Frazier is now charged with the class D felony of driving while intoxicated resulting in serious physical injury, the class D misdemeanor of driving while his license was revoked or suspended and the class A misdemeanor careless and imprudent driving involving an accident.

At presstime Tuesday, he remained in jail without bond. A bond reduction hearing has been set for 9:30 a.m. July 28.