CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. – An Osage Beach police officer died overnight in a crash while pursuing a fleeing suspect in rural Camden County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s crash report, the crash happened just after 1:30 a.m. Saturday on Route A, just east of Route C. The crash scene is approximately 18 miles east of Camdenton.

Osage Police Chief Todd Davis said Officer Phylicia Carson was on patrol just before 1:20 a.m. when she noticed a speeding vehicle on westbound Highway 54 near Passover Road. Carson activated her police lights and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the offending driver sped off.

Carson pursued the vehicle onto Route A when her car began to skid, according to the crash report. Carson’s vehicle went off the road, struck a tree, and caught fire. Carson perished in the crash. She was 33.

Chief Davis said Carson joined the department in June 2023. She leaves behind a husband and their six children.

The speeding driver was later apprehended in the area of Route A and Canary Lane, Davis said. No charges have been filed as of Saturday afternoon. However, the Camden County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said the speeding driver may face an additional felony charge under the newly-implemented Valentine’s Law.