Nebraska woman, child killed in head-on crash with semi near Hastings

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Two people were killed and three were injured in a crash with a semitrailer-truck on Wednesday in Clay County.

The Nebraska State Patrol said the crash happened around 4:15 p.m. on Highway 6, just east of Hastings.

A semi was heading west when it failed to slow down as it approached traffic that was at a standstill.

The patrol said the semi then went into the eastbound lane, lost control and hit a Buick Enclave.

The driver of the Buick – 30-year-old Nicole Pavelka – and an 8-year-old boy were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two children in the Buick were taken to Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha with serious injuries.  A fourth child was taken to a Hastings hospital with serious injuries.

The patrol said all five are a family from Davenport, a small village about 100 miles southwest of Lincoln.

The driver of the semi, 21-year-old Justin Zoerb, was found to have an active arrest warrant in Hitchcock County.

He was arrested and taken to the Adams County Jail.  An investigation is ongoing.