Traffic Stop Suicide Victim Identified

ANGELINA COUNTY — Authorities identify a man who committed suicide after being stopped by authorities Wednesday in Angelina County. It happened on U.S. Highway 59 north after the truck driver was pulled over by a state trooper. Investigators say the man who shot himself is identified as Mason Burks, 46, from Springfield, Missouri. Troopers say they found 603 pounds of marijuana in the sleeper of the truck’s cab. The trooper was making a routine stop on the driver on 59 North just south of the river bridge to check the driver’s log book and credentials. As Trooper Mike McClain approached the truck’s window, he heard a gunshot. McClain took cover, and after backup officers arrived stepped back up to the window. He found Burks dead from a gunshot wound to the chest.