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Kidnapping report, police chase leads to crash that kills 18-year-olds headed to concert
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Kidnapping report, police chase leads to crash that kills 18-year-olds headed to concert

WATSON, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) – Two Missouri families are grieving after an “incredibly senseless” crash left two 18-year-olds dead and one seriously injured. The three were on their way to a concert when they were hit head-on by a man involved in a police chase.

The Sunday morning crash near the Iowa-Missouri border killed 18-year-old Lucy Yeates and her friend, 18-year-old Kole Cunningham. It also seriously injured Lucy’s twin sister, Aubrey, who was airlifted to a hospital in Nebraska. Her family says she is recovering from multiple traumatic injuries, KCTV reports.

“This incredibly callous and tragic event has left our families with a hole that will never be filled,” the Yeates family said in a statement released Tuesday evening. “We thank our friends, family and community for their support, love and prayers as we come together to help Aubrey recover from this horrific experience.”

The family of Aubrey (left) and Lucy Yeates (right) released a statement on Tuesday night after…
The family of Aubrey (left) and Lucy Yeates (right) released a statement Tuesday night after a crash that killed Lucy and Kole Cunningham (middle) and seriously injured Aubrey.(Courtesy of the Yeates family)

Authorities say the crash it was the result of a police chase that prompted a 29-year-old Nebraska man to drive southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 29. A woman told the Fremont County (Iowa) Sheriff’s Department that she and her 1-year-old child were abducted of the man, who was someone he knew.

According to the woman, the man was running from law enforcement in Nebraska and it was a murder-suicide. WOWT reports.

After the man dropped the woman off at a hospital, he was chased by police, crossed the state line into Missouri, and crashed head-on into the vehicle carrying the Yeates and Cunningham twins.

All three 18-year-olds were recent graduates of Kearney High School in Missouri. They were on their way to Omaha, Nebraska, to attend a Billie Eilish concert, according to a GoFundMe established for the Yeates family.

“Lucy was a beautiful 18-year-old freshman in college. She was interested in business and leadership,” the family said. “Aubrey is a dynamic young woman who also attends college. While this unexpected journey takes her away, we look forward to supporting her every day as she heals.”

The 29-year-old man died on the spot. The 1-year-old suffered moderate injuries and was taken to an Iowa hospital.