ALL RIGHT. WAVERLE, THANKS. AND WE HAVE MORE BREAKING NEWS. A FOURTH PERSON, A BABY, HAS DIED IN THIS FIERY DOWNTOWN CRASH. NEW COURT DOCUMENTS ALLEGE THE DRIVER HAD A BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT MORE THAN TWO TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT. AFFIDAVIT ALSO ACCUSES 33 YEAR OLD RACHEL BICKERSTAFF OF DRIVING MORE THAN 100MPH BEFORE CRASHING INTO A SUBARU, KILLING 70 YEAR OLD MICHAEL SALES. THIS WAS NEAR 10TH AND DOUGLAS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. ALL THREE OF THE CHILDREN IN BICKERSTAFF’S CAR HAVE DIED AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH. A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL, AN 11 DAY OLD GIRL AND NOW AN 18 MONTH OLD. THAT 18 MONTH OLD BICKERSTAFF AND A MAN IN HER FRONT SEAT WERE ALL TAKEN OUT OF STATE TO TREAT THEIR BURNS AND ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS, THE E.R. STAFF DESCRIBES TREATING THE CHILD’S INJURIES AS, QUOTE, HAUNTING. AGAIN, POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT CHILD HAS DIED AND BICKERSTAFF NOW FACES FOUR FELONY COUNTS OF MOTOR VEHICLE HOMICIDE. OFFICIALS HAVE
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Driver in fiery Omaha crash was allegedly drunk, speeding between '105 to 116 mph'
Jake Anderson
Digital Media Manager
The driver accused of causing a fiery crash that killed four people, including three children, was allegedly drunk and speeding between "105 to 116 mph," according to court documents.Officials told KETV NewsWatch 7 that the 18-month-old child who was injured in the crash died Tuesday morning. An autopsy will be conducted Friday in Omaha.Two other people were critically hurt in the crash, which occurred near 10th and Douglas streets around 1:30 a.m. Friday.Previous coverage: 3 people, including 2 children, killed in fiery crash in downtown OmahaRachel Bickerstaff, 33, now faces four counts of motor vehicle homicide, a class II felony, due to allegedly driving drunk and her prior DUI conviction."It's horrific. And something obviously that we're going to do everything we can to make sure we prosecute to the fullest extent of the law," Don Kleine, Douglas County Attorney, said.Investigators said Bickerstaff, who was driving a Jeep, was eastbound on Douglas Street when she hit a Subaru from behind, pushing both cars to the east.The driver of the Subaru, identified as 70-year-old Michael Sales, had just completed a left turn onto Douglas Street from southbound 10th Street before the crash, and the Subaru hit a light pole after the collision, the Omaha Police Department said. The family has a GoFundMe, click here to visit.READ MORE: Police identify Council Bluffs man who was killed in fiery crash near downtown OmahaAuthorities said the Jeep hit a tree and then rolled. The force of the crash caused both SUVs to hit barriers and catch on fire.Two children were found dead inside the Jeep, Omaha police said. According to court documents, the children were an 11-day-old girl and a 5-year-old girl.Bickerstaff, a 38-year-old man who was in the front seat, and an 18-month-old child from the Jeep were taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for initial treatment, and then were transferred to the University of Kansas Medical Center burn unit, according to court documents.Officials said that the child died Tuesday. According to court documents, ER staff described treating the 18-month-old's injuries as "haunting."Court documents state that a search warrant for the ER admission showed Bickerstaff's BAC was 0.216. She was previously convicted of a DUI in April 2020.Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
OMAHA, Neb. —
The driver accused of causing a fiery crash that killed four people, including three children, was allegedly drunk and speeding between "105 to 116 mph," according to court documents.
Officials told KETV NewsWatch 7 that the 18-month-old child who was injured in the crash died Tuesday morning. An autopsy will be conducted Friday in Omaha.
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Two other people were critically hurt in the crash, which occurred near 10th and Douglas streets around 1:30 a.m. Friday.
Previous coverage: 3 people, including 2 children, killed in fiery crash in downtown Omaha
Rachel Bickerstaff, 33, now faces four counts of motor vehicle homicide, a class II felony, due to allegedly driving drunk and her prior DUI conviction.
"It's horrific. And something obviously that we're going to do everything we can to make sure we prosecute to the fullest extent of the law," Don Kleine, Douglas County Attorney, said.
Investigators said Bickerstaff, who was driving a Jeep, was eastbound on Douglas Street when she hit a Subaru from behind, pushing both cars to the east.
The driver of the Subaru, identified as 70-year-old Michael Sales, had just completed a left turn onto Douglas Street from southbound 10th Street before the crash, and the Subaru hit a light pole after the collision, the Omaha Police Department said. The family has a GoFundMe, click here to visit.
READ MORE: Police identify Council Bluffs man who was killed in fiery crash near downtown Omaha
Authorities said the Jeep hit a tree and then rolled. The force of the crash caused both SUVs to hit barriers and catch on fire.
Two children were found dead inside the Jeep, Omaha police said. According to court documents, the children were an 11-day-old girl and a 5-year-old girl.
Bickerstaff, a 38-year-old man who was in the front seat, and an 18-month-old child from the Jeep were taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for initial treatment, and then were transferred to the University of Kansas Medical Center burn unit, according to court documents.
Officials said that the child died Tuesday. According to court documents, ER staff described treating the 18-month-old's injuries as "haunting."
Court documents state that a search warrant for the ER admission showed Bickerstaff's BAC was 0.216. She was previously convicted of a DUI in April 2020.
Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
