A police officer and a mother of six, Phylicia Carson, died on duty, leaving her husband and children behind.
Carson, a member of the Osage Beach Police Department in Missouri, was on patrol when she spotted a vehicle speeding down a rural road in Camden County near the Lake of the Ozarks on August 31, 2024.
“The officer activated its emergency equipment and initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle,” police Chief Todd Davis said in a press conference. He added that the vehicle “failed to stop and accelerated,” forcing Carson to go after the car.
Unfortunately, as the pursuit progressed, officer Carson’s vehicle skidded off the roadway, struck into a tree, and caught on fire. The mom-of-six was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Officer Carson perished in the crash,” chief Davis said during the press conference. “Please keep the Carson family, our Department, and our community in your thoughts and prayers as we work through this tragic event,” he continued.
The speeding driver, later identified as 23-year-old Christopher Aaron Bishop Wehmeyer, also crashed minutes later on State Highway A. He was taken into custody and was charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention of a motor vehicle, causing a death.
He remains held in Camden County Jail without bond, awaiting further legal proceedings.
Camden County Prosecuting Attorney Richelle Grosvenor spoke of the case and said, “Rest assured, your Camden County Prosecutor’s Office is going to review the facts.
“We are going to charge appropriately and we are going to pursue this with the resources that we have.”
On behalf of Colonel Eric T. Olson and the entire Missouri State Highway Patrol, we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Osage Beach Police Officer Phylicia Carson, who lost her life in the line of duty this morning. We also extend condolences to Chief Todd… pic.twitter.com/sO3Si4OjYO
— MSHP General HQ (@MSHPTrooperGHQ) August 31, 2024
The Missouri State Highway Patrol paid their tributes to Officer Carson on X.
“On behalf of Colonel Eric T. Olson and the entire Missouri State Highway Patrol, we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Osage Beach Police Officer Phylicia Carson, who lost her life in the line of duty this morning.
“We also extend condolences to Chief Todd Davis and the men and women who she served alongside at the Osage Beach Police Department,” the post added.
We are so very sorry for this tragic loss.
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