Nebraska
EXCLUSIVE: Rural Nebraska crash victims say the same man was waiting for them after separate wrecks
BENNINGTON, Neb. (WOWT) – A frightening mystery has played out along a busy highway in northern Douglas County, Neb. It’s happened at night — and it’s happened more than once.
Cresting a hill while traveling on Highway 36 in the dark, Garrison Beach faced a driver’s worst nightmare Sunday night.
“I didn’t want to [crash] head-on into a big piece of metal in the middle of the road going 55-60 miles per hour, so I just tried to swerve out of the way,” Garrison Beach said.
But he overcorrected, and his Toyota Camry barreled through a wire guardrail and down a ravine, with his wife Skylar Beach riding it out in the passenger’s seat.
“It was pretty scary,” Skylar said. “I remember screaming and I wasn’t sure when we’d start rolling, but we were fortunate to walk away from the accident.”
The crash wouldn’t be the couple’s only shock of the evening, though.
Startled as they fast-approached the object in the road, they looked over and noticed a vehicle parked on 132nd Street with the headlight on, as if someone was keeping watch on the intersection.
“As soon as we got out of the car, I remember walking up the embankment and this guy showed up,” Garrison said. “He was already there, like, waiting for us up on the side of the road and [said], ‘Are you guys okay? I’ve called the paramedics already.‘”
Garrison says they declined the strangers offer to get in his car.
“It was just very odd,” Skylar Beach said. “As soon as we said, ‘No, we’re going to wait for the police,’ he kind of just walked back to his car.”
The man left before they got his name, but he doesn’t seem to be a stranger to incidents on Highway 36.
Kyle Sorenson can attest.
“I hit a kid’s bike that had been right in the center of the road,” said Sorenson. “As I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw someone sitting there [just north] on Pawnee Road. They pulled up behind me and it was this individual saying he was checking to make sure we were okay.”
Seeing little damage on his vehicle, Kyle left, but later, near the same place along the highway, his wife spotted the same man behind another car leaking oil on the roadway.
“In two weeks, this has been three incidents where he was immediately the first person on the scene,” Sorenson said. “It seems strange.”
And even stranger, about two weeks later, Sorenson would see the same man from his incident at the crash scene of his friends, Garrison and Skylar Beach.
“I really didn’t want to confront the person, but I informed the police,” Sorenson said. “I don’t want to accuse and say this person is absolutely doing this, but I want to make aware this is strange.”
Feeling lucky to have survived the crash, the Beaches now wonder if the object sitting in their lane was simply bad luck — or no accident after all.
“We definitely want some answers on why he’s doing what he’s doing,” Skylar Beach said. “We just don’t want this to keep happening to other people, or something even worse to happen.”
The Douglas County Sheriff is investigating multiple incidents of objects laying in driving lanes on Highway 36 near Bennington. Even though it’s a main route to the landfill, the deputies want to determine if the debris fell off a truck or had placed in the roadway on purpose.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.
A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was shot responding to a domestic call. Investigators said the suspect, Brian Huggins, had a history of behavioral health issues. Huggins died by suicide.
And then Noemi Guzman, who police say kidnapped a 3-year-old from inside an Omaha Walmart and cut him in the arm and face with a stolen kitchen knife. Omaha police officers shot and killed her before she could strike again.
Guzman had been on a court-ordered mental health treatment plan since last summer for her schizophrenia. According to court records, psychiatrists determined she could live in the community. Remember, this was after she was arrested for setting her father’s house on fire and threatening a priest with a knife.
Monitoring system
We wanted to know who is part of the system monitoring those who may not be following their mental health treatment plan and are a risk to others or themselves. When that happens, the Board of Mental Health will often notify the local sheriff so a warrant can be issued and deputies can track the individual down.
Here are the numbers since 2023:
In 2023, 842 warrants were issued for those not following their treatment plans according to the Board of Mental Health. In 2024, 756. In 2025, 690. So far in 2026, 190.
But out of these 2,500 warrants, 85% of them didn’t have a second warrant, meaning deputies picked them up, got them back into treatment and the individuals continued to thrive after the one hiccup.
But in 15% of these cases, the individuals messed up again and had another warrant issued by the Board of Mental Health. Twenty-five individuals had five or more issued in Douglas County.
Sheriff Hanson said there has to be a better way, a more team approach for this.
One model to explore is the way Nebraska’s problem-solving courts work like drug court and veterans’ treatment court where experts from a variety of stakeholders help individuals who are on the fringes to do everything to make them productive citizens.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
(InvestigateTV) — Sometimes sports are about more than the final score.
For Jack Burke, a high school football player in Nebraska, a medical diagnosis at birth has never stopped him from competing — and a touchdown catch in his first play back from open heart surgery proved it.
Born with a rare heart defect
Burke was born with Scimitar syndrome, a rare heart defect in which babies are born with an underdeveloped right lung and pulmonary artery. The condition also affects blood flow to the right lung. Treatment often includes surgery, and many adults with the condition go on to live healthy lives.
“As a kid, I never really understood,” Burke said. “It was always natural for me that I had to push myself harder to keep up.”
His mother, Bridget Burke, says the condition was not initially considered dangerous for sports participation.
“His Scimitar Syndrome never really came into play as being dangerous for him to play sports,” she said.
The decision to operate
That changed in the spring of 2025, when Burke’s family and doctors decided it was time for a surgery that had been anticipated for years.
“I’ve kind of known I’ve had to get surgery my whole life,” Burke said. “Once I knew I could get the surgery sooner, I was all in. I wanted to get it so I could get back to sports.”
His father, Ryan Burke, says the timing was deliberate.
“This will be done before school gets started, and still have a chance to do almost everything you want to do,” Ryan Burke said.
Jack Burke underwent open-heart surgery, leaving a visible reminder of what he went through.
“There’s a six-inch scar in the middle of his chest that represents a pretty big thing that happened,” Ryan Burke said.
For Bridget Burke, the moment her son was taken to the operating room was difficult.
“When the rubber hits the road and your kid is being wheeled back to the OR, it is scary and emotional,” she said.
The comeback
Burke eased back into football following his cardiologist’s recommended recovery timeline. His return came in week three of the season.
“Before the Schuyler game I talked to his dad and he’s like, ‘I think we might be ready,’” said coach Jay Landstrom.
Bridget Burke says the family approached the return with caution.
“I mean, I was nervous. We didn’t really know how much he would play. It was going to be some cautious situations,” she said.
Those concerns were set aside — at least for a moment — when Burke caught a touchdown pass on his very first play back.
“All the parents were high-fiving everybody and they were like, ‘Was that really Jack?’” Bridget Burke said.
Landstrom called it a special moment.
“It was just meant to be and that was really special,” he said.
For Burke, the touchdown meant something beyond the scoreboard.
“I just remember one of my teammates came up to me and said, ‘He’s back. He’s back,’” Burke said. “It kind of shows something that tried to stop me — I hurdled that obstacle.”
Burke says the surgery has given him a new sense of freedom.
“Now I can do whatever I want. Nothing can hold me back,” he said.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
4-3-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
14-19-24-30-34
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from April 19 drawing
Red Balls: 01-02, White Balls: 09-26
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from April 19 drawing
Month: 08, Day: 16, Year: 61
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
-
Sports2 minutes agoPGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule
-
Technology8 minutes agoAlexa+ lets you order food like a real conversation
-
Business14 minutes agoNew lawsuit alleges Uber is violating drivers’ rights. Here’s how
-
Entertainment20 minutes agoReview: Trigger warning? ‘For Want of a Horse’ gives new meaning to the term ‘animal lover’
-
Lifestyle26 minutes agoMore is more in this L.A. ‘barn’ exploding with thrifted finds and maximalist flair
-
Politics32 minutes agoFormer state Controller Betty Yee drops out of the governor’s race
-
Sports44 minutes agoPrep talk: Another book is out from running coach Martin Dugard
-
World56 minutes agoAppetite among NATO members to join Iran war ‘very limited’, says Eide