Farmington, Missouri — A 16-year-old Missouri student has died after being struck by a sheriff’s deputy’s vehicle while the deputy was responding to a report of an unresponsive person lying in the roadway, authorities said.
The incident happened early Saturday morning, Oct. 3, on the 5400 block of Davis Crossing Road in St. Francois County. The St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched after receiving a report that an individual was unresponsive in the road.
When the responding deputy arrived in the area, authorities said he saw that the reporting party’s vehicle had its hazard lights activated. However, the deputy did not see the person lying in the roadway before striking them.
The victim was later identified by family members and the coroner as Persephone Berger, 16, according to local reports.
Deputy Remained at Scene After Collision
Following the crash, the responding deputy notified his supervisor and remained at the scene. At the time of the incident, investigators did not know why Berger had been lying unresponsive in the roadway before emergency responders arrived.
The sheriff’s office said:
“At the time, it was unknown what circumstances led to the subject being unresponsive in the roadway prior to the arrival of first responders,” the sheriff’s office said, “and this aspect of the incident was treated as an active investigation.”
The local coroner pronounced Berger dead at the scene.
Because questions remained about what happened before the deputy arrived, investigators began examining both the circumstances surrounding Berger’s presence in the roadway and the subsequent vehicle collision.
Autopsy Provides Early Findings
An autopsy was performed on Berger Monday, Oct. 5, according to the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office. Initial findings reportedly showed no evidence of previous physical injuries on the teenager.
Officials said Berger’s injuries were consistent with those caused by the responding deputy’s vehicle.
The sheriff’s office said the injuries “were consistent with those sustained from the responding Deputy’s vehicle,” while noting that the investigation was still ongoing.
Toxicology testing remains pending, as does the final autopsy report. Those results could provide investigators with additional information about what happened before Berger was found in the roadway.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Investigating
The Missouri State Highway Patrol has been asked to conduct an independent crash investigation.
The independent investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the collision, including the deputy’s response, visibility conditions and events leading up to the teenager being found in the roadway.
Authorities have not released additional details explaining why Berger was lying in the road before the deputy arrived. The investigation remains active as officials work to establish a complete timeline of the incident.
Hundreds Attend Vigil for Berger
The tragedy has deeply affected Berger’s school and the surrounding community.
A vigil was held Monday at West County High School, where Berger was a student. Hundreds of people attended the gathering to remember the teenager and support her family, friends and classmates.
The West County R-IV Schools district released a statement expressing sympathy for everyone affected by Berger’s death.
“Our hearts go out to the student’s family, friends, classmates, teachers, and everyone in the community who is affected by this heartbreaking loss,” the district said.
The gathering came just two days after Berger’s death and gave members of the school community an opportunity to mourn together.
For those who knew Berger, the loss of a 16-year-old student has left classmates, teachers and loved ones facing a devastating tragedy while investigators continue working to determine exactly what happened before the fatal collision.
The pending toxicology results, final autopsy report and independent crash investigation could provide more answers in the days ahead.
Berger’s death has left her family, school and Missouri community grieving. Share your condolences for her loved ones and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss in the comments below.
