Howell County Missouri prosecutors are charging a Newark Arkansas man for his involvement in a crash that killed a mother and her two children in May 2022.
Clayton Rainwater of Newark Arkansas (Independence County) has been charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault.
Investigators say Rainwater was pulling a trailer full of cattle when he entered the intersection of U.S. 63 and State Route 17 and struck a SUV that was attempting to make a left turn. Authorities say the semi truck then crossed over into oncoming traffic and struck a southbound car driven by Alexias Crider, age 22 and then rolled on top of Crider’s vehicle.
Crider, age 22, Aiden McDaniel, 2, and Brantley McDaniel, 1, died in the crash.
Another person in Crider’s vehicle suffered critical injuries. Both the driver and a passenger in the SUV suffered moderate injuries.
Rainwater stated to authorities that he left Cord, Arkansas with 77 cows that averaged seven hundred pounds each.
Rainwater claimed as he started to slow down at the traffic light which turned yellow, the truck began to slide and struck the SUV.
West Plains Police investigators along with Commercial Vehicle Officers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol conducted an inspection of the tractor trailer. Investigators say the truck and trailer was being operated with “Out of Service Violations.”
No trial date has been set yet.