Kessinger arrested after allegedly fleeing scene of deadly accident outside Aurora

Tractor-trailer operator, 21, pleads not guilty to charges
 
A Cassville man was arrested after he was accused of fleeing a traffic crash where another person was killed. Evan Kessinger, 21, was booked into the Lawrence County Jail on Thursday, Oct. 14. He faces charges of fleeing the scene of an accident-accident resulting in death, and tampering with evidence in a felony prosecution.
According to an unofficial report by the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP), the deadly crash took place on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 10, on U.S. Highway 60, two miles west of Aurora. The MSHP report stated that Kessinger, driving a 1999 Freightliner tractor trailer, pulled into the path of a 2004 Ford F-150 being driven by Marios T. Ziogas, of Billings.
The report stated Ziogas’s vehicle struck the towed unit of Kessinger’s Freightliner, after which Kessinger allegedly fled the scene. Ziogas, was transported to Cox South by helicopter; he later died at the hospital and was pronounced dead at 2:33 a.m. the following morning. Ziogas was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
According to the probable cause statement in the case, a member of the MSHP later determined Kessinger was the driver who allegedly ran into Ziogas, and the MSHP reported that Kessinger admitted to being the driver of the tractor trailer at the time of the crash.
According to online records, Kessinger appeared in court on Monday, Oct. 18, for an arraignment hearing, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him; he was released the same day after posting bond. He is next due in court on Monday, Nov. 15, for a disposition hearing.