By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
That violent, deadly crash that shut down I-29 in extreme northwest Missouri for hours Sunday morning began as a pursuit by Nebraska law enforcement.
Three people died, three suffered serious injuries, and a one-year-old escaped serious injury after the driver fleeing police hit a bridge abutment and the car caught fire.
The Fremont County, Iowa Sheriff’s Department says a woman hospitalized in Hamburg reported she and her one-year-old were kidnapped by a 29-year-old acquaintance, who dropped her off at the hospital, but fled with the child.
Iowa state highway patrol troopers pursued the vehicle as it drove south on I-29 in the northbound lanes. When the car entered Missouri, it collided with a northbound car attempting to pass a truck. The pursued car hit the bridge and caught fire. The other vehicle veered off the road, overturned, ejected a passenger, and came to rest on its top.
A veteran deputy rescued the one-year-old from the burning car. The baby was taken to the hospital to be treated for moderate injuries. Two 18-year-olds from Kearney died in the crash. Another person was flown to Omaha to be treated for serious injuries.
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