Kentucky school board candidate killed in Lake of the Ozarks plane crash

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Kentucky school board candidate died in a plane crash at the Lake of the Ozarks on Tuesday.

Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed two people died Tuesday afternoon shortly after taking off from Lee C. Fine Airport.

Michelle Peterson, 51, of Simpsonville, Kentucky, died in the crash, according to an official at Shelby County Public Schools. She was a candidate in the local school board election.

MSHP said a 52-year-old man from Simpsonville, Kentucky, was also killed in the crash.

The NTSB and FAA were on scene Tuesday.

ABC 17 News saw a park ranger blocking the entrance to a parking lot near the crash site at Hidden Springs Trail, near the airport. Caution tape blocked part of the trail.

A Missouri Department of Natural Resources spokesperson told ABC 17 News the park was closed Tuesday for the investigation. An online map states the area is closed Wednesday.

The Miller County Coroner's office reported that next of kin have been notified.