Charles R. Garriott, 61, Fulton, was injured seriously Wednesday when his vehicle went out of control on U.S. 54 in Fulton and plunged down an embankment.
Lt. Lyla Robbins of Fulton Police said Garriott was injured seriously and was transported by helicopter to University Hospital in Columbia.
Robbins said Garriott was traveling westbound along U.S. 54 just north of Route F at 10:43 a.m. when his vehicle went out of control, struck a guard rail on the driver's side of the vehicle, swerved back to the right, left the roadway and plunged about 30 feet down an embankment into a gully.
Robbins said the apparent cause of the accident was a tire failure on the front driver side of the 1999 Ford F350 pickup truck. The vehicle was demolished.
A Callaway County Ambulance happened to be traveling behind Garriott's vehicle and stopped to provide medical aid to the driver, Robbins said.
She said no other vehicle was involved in the accident and Garriott was the only occupant of the vehicle.
Garriott is the father of Chuck Garriott, owner of Garriott Realty in Fulton.