Investigators are examining the fatal collision and how Persephone Berger came to be in a rural roadway before a deputy arrived.
ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, MO — The family of 16-year-old Persephone Berger is demanding answers about the handling of her death after authorities confirmed that a sheriff’s deputy struck her with a patrol vehicle on a rural Missouri road early Oct. 3.
Berger died on Davis Crossing Road near her home west of Park Hills after a St. Francois County deputy responded to a report of an unresponsive person in the roadway. The sheriff’s department said the deputy did not see Berger before hitting her. Her family says it was initially led to believe she had been the victim of a hit-and-run and did not learn directly from the department until days later that a deputy had been involved. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is conducting an independent investigation into the crash.
The sheriff’s department said deputies were dispatched at about 3:43 a.m. to the 5400 block of Davis Crossing Road. Sheriff Jeffrey Crites said the responding deputy saw a vehicle stopped with its hazard lights activated but did not see Berger in the roadway. The deputy struck her and remained at the scene, immediately notifying a supervisor, according to the department. The St. Francois County coroner pronounced Berger dead at the scene.
Preliminary autopsy findings showed no evidence that Berger had suffered physical injuries before she was struck, according to the sheriff’s department. Officials said the injuries found during the examination were consistent with being struck by the deputy’s vehicle. Toxicology testing and the final autopsy report remained pending, and authorities had not publicly explained why Berger was in the roadway before the deputy arrived. The Highway Patrol is conducting crash reconstruction work and interviewing the person who reported finding Berger.
Berger’s aunt, Kimberly Cabuchola, said the teenager had left home to attend a nearby party and was returning when she died. Cabuchola said Berger’s father was initially told his daughter had been involved in a hit-and-run. She said family members began hearing from witnesses that a sheriff’s deputy had actually been involved before receiving confirmation from the department. Cabuchola told CBS News the family believes officials failed to give them an accurate account of what happened in the immediate aftermath.
Crites has said he was not present when the family was initially notified and could not say precisely what relatives were told. He told First Alert 4 that circumstances at the scene initially made a hit-and-run one possible explanation. The preliminary autopsy later indicated that Berger had been struck only by the deputy’s vehicle, he said. Crites has described the death as tragic and said information available to investigators so far indicates the collision was an accident.
The family has also questioned why the Missouri State Highway Patrol was not involved at the scene immediately after Berger died. First Alert 4 reported that the scene had been cleared before Highway Patrol investigators arrived. The Leadwood Fire Protection District said it had initially been called but was told by sheriff’s personnel already at the scene that it could return to service. The Highway Patrol is now handling the crash investigation, while the sheriff’s department is investigating the circumstances that led to Berger being in the roadway.
The sheriff’s department does not have dashboard cameras in its patrol vehicles, Crites said, but deputies use body-worn cameras. The sheriff said he understood that the responding deputy’s camera had been activated and that the footage was turned over to the Highway Patrol. Authorities have not publicly released that recording. The department has also rejected social media claims that the incident followed a vehicle pursuit or that the deputy left after striking Berger.
The deputy has not been publicly identified by investigators. First Alert 4 reported that he is 23 and joined the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office in July. The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed to the station that he previously served as a probationary trooper, beginning in January before leaving in June. The patrol did not disclose why he left, citing personnel matters. Berger’s family has asked members of the public not to threaten the deputy or his relatives while continuing to call for accountability and a complete explanation of the case.
Berger was a student and longtime choir member who was remembered by her family as caring, outgoing and devoted to her friends. Her obituary said she enjoyed hiking, nature and spending time with animals. Visitation was scheduled for Friday evening and Saturday morning in Desloge, with funeral services set for Saturday, Oct. 10, followed by entombment at St. Francois Memorial Park in Bonne Terre.
The Highway Patrol’s investigation remained underway Friday, and authorities had not announced final findings from the crash reconstruction or toxicology testing. Berger’s family says it will continue seeking a clear timeline of the collision, the initial notification and the decisions made by authorities after her death.
Author note: Last updated October 9, 2026.