SW Iowa man pleads “No contest” to motor vehicle homicide charge in Nebraska
July 23rd, 2025 by Ric Hanson
NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (KETV, Omaha) – A man from southwest Iowa will be sentenced in September, after being found guilty Tuesday of hitting and killing a child in Nebraska City on July 17th. The Nebraska City Police Department said 59-year-old Vernon Christiansen, of Percival, was driving through an alley at around 5-p.m. on July 17th when his vehicle struck a 6-year-old. Court documents says the child died at the scene. The incident happened during the town’s farmers market.
Officers said they found an open alcohol container in Christiansen’s truck during a search of the vehicle, but Otoe County, Nebraska, Attorney Jennifer Panko-Rahe, said they did not find evidence to charge him with DUI. On Monday, Christiansen pleaded no contest to several charges, including motor vehicle homicide and possess/consume open alcohol container.
A judge set bond at $50,000. Christiansen is scheduled to be sentenced on the charges on Sept. 8. He faces up to a year in jail and/or up to a $1,300 fine.