Kearney, Missouri community mourns teens killed in Interstate 29 crash
By Andy Alcock and Nick Sloan
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KEARNEY, Missouri (KMBC) — The Kearney, Missouri, community is reeling from the aftermath of a police chase and deadly crash on Interstate 29.
A wrong-way driver fleeing police killed Kole Cunningham and Lucy Yeates and injured Aubrey Yeates early Sunday morning as they were on their way to a Billie Eilish concert in Omaha.
“Our boys played sports together, and, you know, it’s just tragic,” said Jennifer Schmidt, who went to high school with Kole’s parents and owns a store in town. “They’re a tight-knit family, and they’re a great family.”
Josh Baker witnessed the incident while driving behind an unmarked Iowa State Trooper’s pickup truck about 10 miles north of the Missouri state line.
“I was shocked that they were going the opposite lane of traffic on I-29, going on the off-ramp, because there are semis on that off-ramp already when they were heading up there,” Baker said.
The fatal crash occurred 11 miles later in Missouri, about a mile south of the Iowa state line.
All three victims graduated last spring from Kearney High School.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Aubrey Yeates’ recovery.
She lost her twin sister, Lucy, in the crash.
Additionally, a Meal Train page has been organized to assist the Cunningham family. The page includes a photo of Kole as a baby with his twin brother, Kamp, and another picture with their father, Tim.
“It’s just tragic,” Schmidt said. “They’re a tight-knit family, and they’re a great family.”
A Fremont County, Iowa, sheriff’s deputy rescued a 1-year-old boy from the burning vehicle of the wrong-way driver, saving the child’s life.
Yeates’ family statement
The family of Lucy and Aubrey Yeates issued a statement on Tuesday evening:
On November 17, 2024, our lives changed instantly when a wrong-way driver hit the car our twin daughters, Lucy and Aubrey Yeates, and their friend Kole Cunningham were in.
Our 18-year-old daughter, Lucy, passed away from her injuries, as did her friend Kole. Our daughter Aubrey is recovering from multiple traumatic injuries in a Nebraska hospital.
This incredibly senseless and tragic event has left our families with a hole that will never be filled. 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.
Lucy was a beautiful 18-year-old attending her first year of college. She was interested in business and leadership.
Aubrey is a dynamic young lady who is also attending college. While this unexpected journey is sidetracking her, we look forward to supporting her every day as she heals.
Our family has set up a GoFundMe account to aid Aubrey’s recovery.
We have no further comment at this time and ask that members of the media give our family — and our extended family — privacy as we grieve and heal together.
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