‘Senseless and tragic’: Kearney family identifies teens who died in police chase crash
A Kearney, Missouri family has identified the two teenagers who were killed in a multi-car wreck Sunday when an Iowa police chase crossed into Missouri and turned fatal.
Lucy Yeates and Kole Cunningham, both 18, died in the crash, the Yeates family said in a statement Tuesday. Aubrey Yeates, Lucy’s twin sister, survived and is currently being treated for “multiple traumatic injuries” at a Nebraska hospital, according to the Yeates family.
“This incredibly senseless and tragic event has left our families with a hole that will never be filled,” a statement from the Yeates family said. “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 fatal crash took place around 7:20 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 29 in Atchison County, Missouri, near the Iowa border. The driver of the car being pursued, a 29-year-old man from Bellevue, Nebraska, also died in the crash. His 1-year-old son survived.
Sheriff’s deputies from Fremont County, Iowa, as well as Iowa State Patrol troopers, pursued the Bellevue man on I-29 after he allegedly kidnapped the 1-year-old, along with the child’s mother, in Nebraska. The man dropped the woman off at a hospital in Hamburg, Iowa before fleeing local law enforcement.
Throughout the pursuit, the Nebraska man was driving south in the northbound lanes of I-29, with some law enforcement officers following suit as the chase crossed state lines into Missouri. The Kearney trio was on their way northbound, with Kole driving, when the Nebraska man hit them head-on.
Aubrey, Lucy and Kole had been on their way to Omaha to see Billie Eilish in concert when the crash happened, Aubrey and Lucy’s cousin, Mckinley Yeates. shared online Tuesday.
“ Aubrey is hospitalized currently and has undergone much care and procedures,” Mckinley Yeates wrote.
Kole Cunningham was also an identical twin, according to relatives. He played youth sports in Kearney growing up and was passionate about music, friends and relatives shared online.
“He will be so missed,” Shanilla Cunningham, Kole’s mother, wrote on social media. “Such an amazing person and so proud he’s my baby.”
Kole’s aunt, Dusti Cunningham, shared online that her brother and sister-in-law — Kole’s parents — initially found out about the fatal wreck by tracking Kole’s phone on the app Life360.
“This loss is felt so deeply by all of us,” Chrystan Ferrell, whose son was friends with Kole, wrote online Tuesday.
Aubrey, Lucy and Kole all graduated from Kearney High School in 2023. Both Aubrey and Lucy were in their first year of college, where Lucy had been interested in pursuing a career in business.
“Aubrey is a dynamic young lady who is also attending college,” the Yeates family shared in Tuesday’s statement. “While this unexpected journey is sidetracking her, we look forward to supporting her every day as she heals.”
The Yeates family said Tuesday that they are seeking privacy as they continue to grieve.
The trio was involved in the Billie Eilish fan community online, and Kole and Lucy’s deaths drew the attention of at least one prominent X account devoted to the singer.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the news that three members of our community, Kole, Lucy, and Aubrey, were involved in a tragic car accident while traveling to see Billie in Omaha,” the Billie Eilish Society wrote on X Monday.
A fundraiser on GoFundMe benefiting Aubrey’s recovery, organized by the Yeates family, has raised more than $13,500 from almost 400 donors.
Friends and family also set up a fundraiser on Meal Train benefiting the Cunningham family, which has raised more than $10,000 in donations from 96 people along with meals planned every day through Dec. 16.
Previous reporting from Robert A. Cronkleton and Nathan Pilling contributed to this article.
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 10:28 PM.
