A 69-year-old Springfield man was involved in a traffic accident on Monday, September 2nd, and was taken to the hospital and released, but died from his injuries at his home three days after the accident.
Police said Michael Zapatka was involved in a three-vehicle accident at the intersection of West Sunshine Street and West Bypass on Labor Day at 3:47 p.m.
Police say he was driving a Ford Ranger and turned left onto the West Bypass, heading east on Sunshine Boulevard.
Police say a black Mitsubishi Endeavor driven by Cody Smith, 28, of Springfield, ran a red light and headed west on Sunshine Street.
The two vehicles collided on Buick Park Avenue.
Zapatka was taken to a local hospital and later released, police said.
The Springfield Police Department press release did not say which hospital Zapatka was taken to or what day he was released.
Springfield police spokesman Chris Swaters said police would not release the information, suggesting that information could come from the Greene County Coroner’s Office.
Tom Van de Burgh, chief forensic investigator for the coroner’s office, said Tuesday, Sept. 10, that the autopsy will likely take approximately 60 days to complete.
Police said Zapatka “died from his injuries at his home” three days after the incident.
The Springfield Police Department was notified of Zapatka’s death by the coroner’s office on Sept. 6.
The circumstances of the crash are still under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Springfield Police at 417-864-1810 or the Tip Hotline at 417-869-TIPS.
This was the 16th fatal car crash in Springfield in 2024.
SPRINGFIELD, MO – On September 2, 2024 at 3:47 p.m., officers with the Springfield Police Department were dispatched to a three vehicle crash at Sunshine and West Bypass.
Michael Zapatka, 69, of Springfield, was driving a Ford Ranger in the inside left turn lane of the West Bypass, attempting to turn east on Sunshine Boulevard. A black Mitsubishi Endeavor driven by Cody Smith, 28, of Springfield, was traveling west on Sunshine Boulevard and ran a red light. The two vehicles struck a blue Buick Park Avenue driven by Dominic Herron, 34, of Springfield.
Zapatka was taken to a local hospital and later released. He died from his injuries at his home on September 5. The Springfield Police Department was notified of Zapatka’s death by the Greene County Coroner’s Office on September 6.
The circumstances of the crash are still under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1810 or the Tip Hotline at 417-869-TIPS.
This was the 16th fatal car crash in Springfield in 2024.
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