Oregon County woman charged with involuntary manslaughter in fatal crash

OREGON COUNTY, Mo. — An Oregon County woman has been charged following a fatal crash on Sept. 20, 2024.

According to online court dockets filed on Wednesday, August 6, Joy Kay Barton, born 1979, of Alton, has been charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter.

The probable cause statement says a Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) officer responded to a crash on U.S. Highway 160 near Oregon County Road 335.

MSHP found that a 2022 Ford Escape being driven by Barton had struck a 2013 Kubota RTV from behind. The Kubota was thrown off the highway and went into a ditch, where it overturned and ejected the victim.

Barton lost control of her Ford Escape and went into a north ditch. The SUV overturned and came to a rest on its left side.

The statement says that there were no pre-impact skid marks on the SUV that indicated braking before the impact. The Kubota had a flashing yellow light on the rear that was activated.

MSHP spoke to witnesses of the crash, and they stated that they were following the SUV. They saw the Kubota with the flashing light far up ahead of them. They told MSHP that they did not understand why the driver of the Ford had not slowed down to avoid the Kubota.

Barton told law enforcement that she began to look down to adjust her temperature and then looked up to see that the Kubota was 10 to 20 feet in front of her SUV. MSHP gave Barton a Preliminary Breath Test, which tested 0%.

MSHP noted that Barton's eyes were bloodshot and watery in the statement. Barton said that she takes Wellbutrin and Lexapro and had taken her medication before bed and when she woke up.

MSHP asked Barton to stand up to perform a Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test. Barton began to be uncertain with her foot placement and had difficulty maintaining focus on the stimulus as her eyes drifted off and snapped back.

MSHP says they asked Barton to perform several field sobriety tests. Barton stated, "I just feel really wobbly in my legs," and "I am just a very nervous person."

Barton was placed under arrest at the time for DWI and was transported to Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains for a sample of her blood for testing. She was later released on her own recognizance, the statement says.

Barton is currently scheduled for an appearance on Sept. 10, 2025.