Cassville Man Stuck For Hours After Crash

A rural Cassville man was taken by Med-Flight to UW Hospital hours after rolling his vehicle multiple times down an embankment. A Grant County Sheriff’s Office report says 35-year-old Dustin Hampton was driving on Highway 81 about 3 miles northeast of Cassville late Saturday night. According to the report, Hampton’s vehicle left the roadway and went down an embankment. It struck several large rocks and trees while rolling over repeatedly. Hampton was able to contact the Grant County Sheriff’s Office about 6:30am Sunday. However, poor cell reception made communication difficult. Dispatchers were able to learn the caller was injured after crashing his vehicle nearly 6 hours earlier and was not sure where he was located. Authorities organized a search and rescue, finding Hampton and the crash site about 90 minutes after his initial call. Hampton was not wearing his seatbelt and was partially ejected from the vehicle. A Med-Flight landing area was setup at the intersection of Highway 81 and County Road Y near Cassville to take Hampton for further treatment. Deputies believe speed and driver condition played a factor in the crash, which is still under investigation.