Surgeon Dies in Missouri Traffic Accident

Columbia, MOA surgeon was killed in a Missouri traffic accident over the 4th of July weekend.

Paul Shurnas, an orthopedic surgeon from Columbia, Missouri, was the only casualty in the one-car accident, reports the Missourian.

According to the report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the 44-year-old Shurnas was driving his 2010 BMW fast enough to become airborne when he crested a hill. When the car landed, it spun out of control into a ditch on the left-hand side of the road. The vehicle started to overturn, then crossed the roadway and eventually came to rest in ditch on the right side of the road.

Shurnas was pronounced dead at the scene. Michael Schweid, the 41-year-old passenger, was taken to the University of Missouri Hospital with minor injuries.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol's report said that the accident occurred around 8:00 pm on Saturday night.

There were 960 deaths that occurred because of traffic accidents in Missouri during 2008, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.