The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports a 28-year-old woman died Thursday when the driver of the vehicle in which she was a passenger ran off the road three miles east of Advance.

The crash reportedly occurred around 11:45 p.m. on Missouri Highway O when 35-year-old Donald R. Smith of Marble Hill was heading east in a 1999 Mercury, which he took off the roadway at a curve. The car then hit multiple road signs and a utility pole, according to the report.

Both Mr. Smith and passenger Amanda D. Allenbaugh of De Soto were reportedly ejected from the vehicle. Ms. Allenbaugh was pronounced dead at the scene, the patrol says, and Mr. Smith suffered serious injuries. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau for treatment.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 17,500 fatal single-vehicle accidents in the U.S. in 2007, and since 1991 vehicles are leaving the roadway in a higher percentage of single-vehicle crashes.

If you would like an official copy of the police report, request a copy with this form, or call 1-877-875-1991 .