A deer struck by an eastbound SUV was thrown into a westbound Jeep on U.S. 40 in Boone County.
ROCHEPORT, Mo. — A 40-year-old Missouri man died after a deer struck by another vehicle was thrown across U.S. 40 and crashed through the windshield of his Jeep in Boone County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The crash happened at about 5:47 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, near Shady Hills east of Rocheport. The patrol said a 2024 Chevrolet Equinox traveling east struck a deer in the roadway. The impact sent the animal into the westbound lane, where the Glasgow man was approaching in a 2004 Jeep Renegade.
The deer struck the Jeep’s windshield and roof, entered the passenger compartment and hit the driver, according to accounts of the patrol’s crash report. The Jeep then traveled off the left side of the highway and struck trees. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:12 p.m.
The Highway Patrol’s publicly reported information identified the driver as a 40-year-old man from Glasgow but did not release his name. Authorities said next of kin had been notified. No additional occupants were reported in the Jeep, and no other injuries were listed in connection with the crash.
The Chevrolet was driven by a 75-year-old man from Clark. After striking the deer, the driver brought the SUV to a controlled stop on the right shoulder, authorities said. He was not injured. The patrol report said both drivers were wearing seat belts and listed both vehicles as totaled.
The collision happened on U.S. 40 near Shady Hills and east of Rocheport Gravel Road. Reports from local news organizations described the same sequence: the eastbound SUV hit the deer first, and the impact propelled the animal into the path of the westbound Jeep. Authorities have not reported criminal charges or citations connected to the collision.
The fatal crash came during one of the busiest times of the year for deer movement on Missouri roads. The Missouri Department of Transportation said in an October advisory that most vehicle strikes involving deer occur during October and November, particularly around dawn and in the evening hours. The agency said cooler temperatures, longer nights and seasonal wildlife movement increase the chance that deer will enter roadways.
Missouri recorded more than 2,800 crashes involving deer in 2025, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation, citing Highway Patrol data. Those crashes resulted in six deaths and 435 injuries. The department said Missouri ranked 15th nationally for deer-vehicle collisions that year.
The Nov. 5 crash was recorded as the 56th traffic fatality investigated by Highway Patrol Troop F in 2026, according to reports based on the patrol record. That total includes traffic deaths from all causes handled by the troop and is not a count limited to collisions involving wildlife.
The patrol continued to classify the Boone County incident as a fatal crash in publicly reported records. No additional information identifying the Glasgow driver had been released in the material reviewed as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated November 10, 2026.