Victim’s cellphone alerts first responders to deadly crash that killed 6

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN/Gray News) - A passenger’s iPhone alerted first responders after a car hit a tree in Nebraska, claiming the lives of six people.

Lincoln Police Department officers responded to a fatal crash around 2:16 a.m. Sunday.

The department said the call came from an iPhone recording indicating the owner of the phone was involved in a severe crash and was not responding to their phone.

After arriving on the scene, officers said they found that a vehicle, believed to be a black Honda Accord, had struck a tree. Preliminarily investigation shows the car appeared to cross the roadway and strike a tree in a yard.

Fire and rescue personnel took one occupant, a 24-year-old woman, to the hospital in life-threatening condition. The police department later reported on Facebook that the woman died from her injuries.

The remaining five occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene. The police department said the rest of the victims’ ages ranged from 21 to 26, and all of them were men.

“This is the worst crash in Lincoln in recent memory. Our hearts are heavy for the victims’ families,” the department said. “We are working to notify the families of the deceased and request privacy for them as they grieve. We extend our condolences to their families and friends.”

Police said the incident remains under investigation.

The Lincoln Police Department asks those with additional information, including video evidence, to call the police’s non-emergency number at 402 441-6111 or Crime Stoppers at 402 475-3600.

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