At approximately 3:15 p.m. on March 29, officer Matt Walker of the Jasper County Sheriff department witnessed an automotive accident on Missouri Southern’s campus.

Immediately, Ken Kennedy, director of public safety, campus security officers, the Joplin Police Department and the METS ambulance were called to the scene.

“This is not your normal everyday occurrence here at Missouri Southern,” Kennedy said.

Hugh McDonald was driving on Newman road when he merged across the grass onto Southern’s campus and crashed into the parked vehicle of Echo Hartman, junior nursing major. Hartman was working in Billingsly Student Center when she was contacted about the incident.

“I can’t believe it, I already got hit earlier this week,” she said.

Stephen Schiavo, associate professor of computer information science, was on his motorcycle in traffic when he witnessed the accident, but he knew there was more to the story.

“It became obvious when the officer jumped down and started smashing windows,” he said.

When Walker approached the vehicle McDonald was said to be passed out.

“He had to break out a window to extract him from the vehicle,” Kennedy said. “(McDonald) had a medical condition.”

As the JPD worked the scene, empty vodka bottles were found in the backseat; however, officials detected no scent of alcohol. Officials believe McDonald may have had a seizure. He was transported to St. Johns’ Medical Center.