Troop E's first fatal accident of the year occurred two miles east of Poplar Bluff on Wednesday.
James M. Ray, 49, of Poplar Bluff was operating a 2020 Chevrolet Trax westbound on Highway 60 when his vehicle impacted the rear of a 2015 Peterbilt tractor trailer operated by Ronald McGraw, 57, of Coahoma, Mississippi and traveled off the roadway.
Ray was taken by ambulance to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead 1:06 p.m. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
Ray is the first fatality of Troop E in 2024.