Man fell asleep before fatal crash on eastern Nebraska highway, sheriff says

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Two people died after a crash in rural Polk County late Friday night.

The crash happened around 10 p.m. on Highway 81/92, about two miles east of Shelby.

Polk County Sheriff Dwaine Ladwig said 42-year-old Jesse Vasquez Espinoza Jr. of North Dakota, was heading west when he fell asleep.

Espinoza’s pickup truck swerved across the center line and crashed into a vehicle, driven by 60-year-old Viola Peace of Polk County.

Ladwig said both drivers were trapped and had to be extricated.

Peace was pronounced dead at the scene.  She was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, Ladwig said.

Espinoza was flown to Bryan West in Lincoln, where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.