Lincoln Police: Traffic collision carries two vehicles into bystanders after Americruise event

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - Two dead and 20 injured. Lincoln Police investigators continue to piece together a fatal crash that happened Sunday night where a number of bystanders were injured.

Hundreds of people brought their lawn chairs to the sidewalks along O Street in Lincoln to watch modern and classic cars driving by.

Instead, it became a crime scene.

It’s called Americruise, and it’s been taking place since the 90′s on Memorial Day Weekend.

But just before 11 p.m., after the event had wrapped up but people were still lingering along the sidewalks of O Street, a westbound vehicle smashed into another sedan turning from the opposite direction onto 52nd Street.

The collision carried both vehicles into the crowd.

Investigators say the white Toyota was turning when it was struck by the black Ford.

Two Lincoln women inside the white car died at the scene -- a 20-and-a-22-year-old.

A tragic scene where the police chief paused from the despair to recognize the two strangers who tried to help those who were trapped.

“To the citizens who helped the individuals trapped, thank you for rushing to help those in need,” Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins said.

The driver of the black Ford is an 18-year-old male from Omaha. It was the car that flipped onto bystanders.

Of the 20 bystanders who needed medical attention, investigators say -remarkably - just one is in critical, but stable condition.

The Lincoln police chief had a message for those who gather in Lincoln, especially outsiders, to do donuts with their cars and speed down the roads trying to draw attention: There will be changes in how officers patrol.

“When it comes to people and bad behavior, where I come from in the Bay area, it was a huge issue,” Ewins said. “Sideshows. And we started taking people’s cars when identified as being part of the sideshow.”

Investigators are still looking through evidence and video and awaiting black box information from the cars in order to determine speeds and who was at fault for the fatal collision.

Monday afternoon Lincoln’s police chief said neither vehicle involved in the crash was part of the car parade last night.

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