Friday morning accident near Sutherland kills one, leaves another seriously injured

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - Lincoln County Sheriff deputies were notified of a single-vehicle accident on a county road near Sutherland early Friday morning.

The sheriff’s office said the driver had died after being partially ejected from the vehicle. The passenger was treated by rescue personnel.

An investigation determined that a 2003 Dodge Ram had been eastbound at a high rate of speed and upon crossing a railroad track, the driver lost control. The vehicle slid sideways into a ditch and rolled nearly three times.

First responders identified the driver as Philippus Jacobus Van Der Merwe, 33, of rural Lincoln County. The 33-year-old passenger reportedly told to law enforcement that they were both heavily intoxicated and that Phillippus was driving erratically.

According to a press release from Sheriff Jerome Kramer, the passenger was transported to the hospital to receive treatment for cuts to his face and hands and a possible broken neck and punctured lung.

Sheriff Kramer says that next of kin in South Africa has been notified.