Sterling teen killed in Monday afternoon crash
16-year-old Chloe Paulson passed away in a single-vehicle crash near Beatrice
A 16-year-old girl has died following a car crash east of Beatrice on Monday afternoon.
The Gage County Sheriff's Office says it happened a little after 4:30 p.m. Monday. First responders found an SUV fully engulfed on S. 23rd Road, about a half mile south of Highway 136.
There was one person deceased in the vehicle, identified as 16-year-old Chloe Paulson of Sterling.
After a preliminary investigation, authorities believe Paulson was driving south on 23rd Road when she left the road and hit a tree, sparking the fire.
Others have established a meal train and fundraiser to benefit the Paulson family in the wake of the tragedy.
The crash remains under investigation.