A Missouri cop and mother of six is dead after her car flew off the road and struck a tree during a high-speed chase.
Thirty-three-year-old Phylicia Carson was on duty when she noticed a car flying down the road on a highway in Missouri at just before 1:30 a.m. August 31. Turning on the lights on her cruiser, Carson gave pursuit but the driver, whose identity was unknown at the time, managed to get away.
As she was chasing the car, Carson’s cruiser started skidding and ended up hitting a tree. The car burst into flames and Carson did not survive. A few minutes later the driver she was chasing also crashed his car, and police arrested him. The suspect, Christopher Aaron Bishop Wehmeyer, is 23 years old. He crashed his own car minutes after Carson while he was fleeing and was later arrested, according to police. Wehmeyer is likely to face felony charges for running away from the attempted traffic stop.
Carson joined the department in June 2023.
Camden County prosecuting attorney Richelle Grosvenor told media that her office was going to “review the facts.” She said the DA will “charge appropriately” and intends to pursue the case vigorously.
Carson leaves behind six children and a husband, Grant. This is the first officer fatality for the Ozarks police department in 30 years. As Carson’s favorite color was pink, members of the public left pink flowers at the police department in her honor.
Those who knew the police officer remember her as a devoted mother and wife, and and an inspiring person. On social media, friend Cira Clement Morning wrote that Carson was a “God-loving momma bear,” and an outspoken “ball of joy.
Summer Trowbridge counted Carson as a fairly new friend as the two met just a few months ago. She said Carson would entertain her with short videos showing the events on her police shift, and talk with her about how proud she was of her children and her husband.
Friend Nadine Kelsey wrote that she was pleased when she first heard Carson was training to be a copy, as “that was the perfect job for her.”
