Crash that killed 3 people in Missouri started after alleged kidnapping in Nebraska, pursuit in Iowa

By Jake Anderson

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    ATCHISON COUNTY, Missouri (KETV) — A crash that killed three people and injured three others in Missouri on Sunday morning started after an alleged kidnapping in Nebraska.

According to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report around 6:12 a.m. Sunday after a woman at a hospital in Hamburg, Iowa, told investigators that a male acquaintance had kidnapped her and her 1-year-old in Nebraska.

The woman told authorities that she had been run over by the man, according to the Iowa State Patrol.

He later dropped her off at the hospital and fled with the child in a 2023 Kia Sorento, authorities said. The woman also reported that the man was suicidal and homicidal.

Fremont County deputies were told that the Iowa State Patrol was pursuing the vehicle near the intersection of Highway 2 and Interstate 29, according to the sheriff’s office.

Around 7:14 a.m., troopers located the Kia and attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle failed to yield to emergency lights, then attempted to avoid capture by doing a U-turn over a cement divider in the roadway, Iowa State Patrol said.

The troopers then attempted to box in the suspect, but he was able to get out and continued to evade law enforcement, authorities said. At this time, the vehicle got onto Interstate 29 driving southbound in the northbound lanes.

Deputies attempted to intercept the pursuit near Hamburg and began traveling northbound on Interstate 29, authorities said. They found the vehicle, driven by a 29-year-old man from Bellevue, Nebraska, was traveling southbound in the northbound left lane at a high rate of speed near the 5-mile marker.

The vehicle being followed by Iowa state troopers in the southbound lanes, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities said the vehicle attempted to hit both Fremont County deputies, and one deputy — a nine-year law enforcement veteran — pursued the suspect vehicle in the northbound lanes with emergency lights activated, while other pursuit continued in the southbound lanes.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said that Missouri authorities were notified as the pursuit crossed into the state.

“It’s a very unfortunate situation,” said Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Sgt. Shane Hux.

Iowa State Patrol said the troopers terminated pursuit at the Missouri State line.

The suspect’s Kia then collided with a 2013 Ford Focus, which was driving northbound in the left lane, as the Ford was passing a semi-truck, according to authorities. The semi-truck swerved to avoid the crash, but hit the Fremont County deputy who was pursuing in the northbound lanes.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said the Kia came to rest on the northbound Nishnabotna River Bridge, engulfed in flames. The driver of the Kia was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Fremont County deputy, a 39-year law enforcement veteran, rescued the 1-year-old child who was kidnapped from the burning vehicle. Authorities said the child was airlifted to a hospital in Omaha with non-life-threatening injuries.

“Thankfully, that 1-year-old child was able to get out of that vehicle safely,” Hux said.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said the driver of the Ford went off the road and rolled over, throwing an 18-year-old woman out of the car. The woman and the driver, an 18-year-old male, also died on the scene. Another passenger survived with serious injuries. All three were from Kearney, Missouri.

“The driver of the vehicle… (that) contributed to the crash is deceased. So, will we ever find out the answer to why? That’s yet to be determined,” Hux said.

The Fremont County deputy who was hit by the semitrailer was treated and released from a local hospital, officials said.

Those involved in the crash have not been named by authorities at this time.

The Missouri State Patrol is investigating the crash.

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