A Missouri police officer and mother of six children was killed after losing control of her patrol car during a high-speed pursuit early Sunday, authorities said.
Osage Beach Police Officer Phylicia Carson, 33, was on patrol around 1:18 a.m. when she spotted a speeding vehicle on westbound Highway 54, Chief Todd Davis said during a news conference.
Carson activated her police lights and tried to pull the vehicle over, but Davis said the driver sped away.
As Carson pursued the speeding vehicle, her patrol car skidded off the road and struck a tree before catching fire. Davis said Carson died in the crash.
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The speeding driver crashed minutes later before being taken into custody.
The suspect, later identified as 23-year-old Christopher Aaron Bishop Wehmeyer, was charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention of a motor vehicle, causing a death.
He is being held in the Camden County Jail without bond, according to online jail records.
Carson leaves behind a husband and six children, Davis said. She began her career in law enforcement with the Osage Beach Police Department in June 2023.
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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson wrote on social media that Carson’s family and community will remain “in our prayers.”
“Officer Carson will not be forgotten,” Parson wrote.
Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe also wrote that he and his wife, Claudia, “extend our heartfelt condolences to Officer Carson’s husband, their six children, and her fellow officers.”
“We must remember those in law enforcement who courageously serve their communities despite the threats they face,” Kehoe wrote.
Missouri State Highway Patrol is leading the crash investigation.
