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Two accidents claimed the lives of two people in central Nebraska since Friday, the State Patrol reported. At 12:14 a.m. August 15 in Custer County, a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Jonathan Jacobsen, 24, of Merna, went under the back wheels of a semi tractor-trailer up to the car’s rear doors. Both the car and the trailer burst into flame and were destroyed and Jacobsen was killed, a patrol spokesperson said. The vehicles were both traveling westbound at mile marker 270 on Highway Two when the accident occurred. Caroline M. Klenczen of Arizona drove the semi. It is still unclear to investigators why Jacobsen’s car went under the trailer’s wheels, the spokesperson said. They also said that it may be difficult or impossible to obtain a blood sample from the deceased for chemical testing, given the amount of damage done to the body by the fire. The patrol also reported that another fatal crash took place Saturday, Aug. 15 at 11:44 a.m. on Interstate 80. A westbound car driven by Kenneth Gerdes, 81, of Iowa, lost control and rolled at mile marker 223 east of Cozad. Gerdes’ wife, Dolares, was killed. Alcohol is not suspected in the accident and restraints were not in use at the time of the rollover. Kenneth Gerdes was trapped under the vehicle at the scene of the accident, according to the NSP incident report. His current condition is not known, the spokesperson said.
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