Osage Beach officer dies in crash while pursuing fleeing driver

A police officer from the Osage Beach Police Department was killed early Saturday in a crash on Route A, 18 miles east of Camdenton. Phylicia Carson, 33, was chasing a speeding suspect when the crash occurred.

Osage Police Chief Todd Davis said Carson was on patrol around 1:20 a.m. when she saw a speeding vehicle on westbound Highway 54 near Passover Road. She tried to pull over the driver but the car sped off.

Carson gave chased but her car began to skid. It went off the road, stuck a tree and caught fire. She died at the scene.

David said Carson joined the department in 2023. She leaves behind a husband and six children.

The driver was later caught and arrested. They could face significant charges under Missouri’s newly implemented Valentine’s Law. Under the measure, drivers who flee a traffic stop and put people in danger, can be charged with a class D felony – a minimum of one year in prison, no probation or parole.

If a person is injured when the suspect flees, the sentence could be 15 years behind bars.
If someone dies during an escape from police, as was the case here, the driver can face all the way up to life in prison.

Law enforcement organizations around the country issued their condolences to Carson’s family and the Osage Beach Police Department.