Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a Michigan man following a crash on Interstate 80 that injured a Keith County Sheriff’s Deputy.
The NSP says around 8:00 Wednesday night, a trooper was doing traffic control for a semi that had broken down on the inside shoulder of I-80 near Sutherland. A deputy from the Keith County Sheriff’s Department was positioned, with emergency lights activated, just east of the scene to alert drivers of the motorist assist ahead.
The deputy’s vehicle was then hit from behind by a 2019 Nissan Sentra, occupied by three people. The deputy was inside the vehicle at the time of the crash and suffered injuries. A person, who claimed to be a passenger in the Nissan, was also injured. Both were transported to the hospital in Ogallala with non-life-threatening injuries. The deputy was treated and released late Wednesday evening.
After investigation, troopers determined that the injured person from the Nissan had actually been the driver, and not a passenger in the vehicle. After being treated for minor injuries, 24 year old Emmanuel Phifer, of Mount Morris, Michigan, was arrested. Phifer was charged with false reporting, violation of the move over law, no operator’s license, and reckless driving.
Westbound I-80 was closed for approximately 2.5 hours due to the crash.