2 days Ago By USA TODAY
A man who was kidnapping a 1-year-old baby and being pursued by police in southwestern Iowa caused a car crash that killed two teenagers, police say. The Fremont County Sheriff's Office got a report just after 6 a.m.
Sunday about a hospitalized woman who had experienced a domestic assault, the agency said in a . The woman told deputies that an acquaintance had kidnapped her and her baby across the state line in Nebraska, and that he was "suicidal and homicidal." She said the man drove her and the baby to Iowa, where he dropped her off at a hospital in Hamburg before leaving with the baby.
At some point, troopers with the Iowa State Patrol began pursing the man, who was in a 2023 Kia Sorento. Deputies tried intercepting the pursuit when the man began driving in the wrong lanes and speeding, the sheriff's office said. They say the man tried hitting the pursuing deputies with the Kia before he drove the vehicle across another state line into Missouri, the agency said.
Soon after that, the Kia collided with a 2013 Ford Focus on Interstate 29 in Missouri in a crash that triggered another collision between a semi truck and a Chevy Tahoe driven by a Fremont County deputy. The alleged kidnapper driving the Kia was killed, as were two 18-year-olds from Kearney, Missouri, in the Ford Focus, , citing local law enforcement. Neither the Fremont County Sheriff's Office nor the Missouri State Highway Patrol have responded to USA TODAY to confirm the deaths.
After the car crashes, A Fremont County deputy rescued the baby from inside the burning Kia, and the baby was airlifted to a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, with non-life-threatening injuries, the sheriff's office said. It's unclear whether the baby has been reunited with their mother. The Fremont County deputy hit by the Volvo was treated and released from a local hospital.
Kearney Mayor Randy Pogue shared his condolences with the families of the teenagers who were killed, saying their deaths have "shaken our community." "May courage and hope be the steadfast companions of both families, friends, and all who mourn. Praying for you all," he said.
The Kearney School District told that the teens involved in the crash were class of 2024 graduates and not current students. "The Kearney High School team is aware of this tragic event and the counselors are prepared to provide additional guidance and support as needed," according to a district statement obtained by the TV station. Authorities have not identified the deceased kidnapping suspect or the 18-year-olds.
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