Officer Phylicia Carson of the Osage Beach Police Department in Missouri was killed in the line of duty on August 31, 2024, when her patrol car left State Highway A during a high-speed pursuit and struck a tree. Her death has since produced five felony charges against the fleeing driver, a $100,000 wrongful death settlement for her husband and six children, and a state law renaming a Lake of the Ozarks bridge in her honor.
The Pursuit and Crash
In the early morning hours of August 31, 2024, Osage Beach officers clocked a vehicle driven by Christopher Wehmeyer of Camdenton traveling around 90 miles per hour on U.S. Highway 54.1KRCG. Osage Beach Officer’s Death Leads to New Charges Against Suspect Carson tried to make a traffic stop. Wehmeyer did not pull over. Investigators say he then accelerated past 100 miles per hour, and he later told them he had been racing and chose not to stop when he saw police lights.2ABC 17 News. Settlement Reached in Wrongful Death Lawsuit of Osage Beach Police Officer
Around 1:30 a.m., Carson’s patrol vehicle skidded off Highway A near Toronto Springs Park Road and struck a tree. A Camden County Sheriff’s deputy later found the car on fire in the tree line. Carson died at the scene.3Officer Down Memorial Page. Officer Phylicia Carson Wehmeyer crashed a short distance away and was arrested on Highway A. The Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated under accident report 240446905.4KY3. Osage Beach Officer Dies in Crash
Carson was 33. She had been hired by the department in June 2023 and began active duty that September after graduating from the Law Enforcement Training Institute through the University of Missouri Extension, putting her roughly a year on the force at the time of her death.5Hedges-Scott-Millard Funeral Home. Obituary of Phylicia Faye Carson She lived in Lake Ozark and was survived by her husband, Miller County Sheriff’s Deputy Grant Carson, and their six children.6KRCG. Tunnel to Towers Foundation Provides Mortgage-Free Home to Fallen Officer Phylicia Carson
Criminal Charges Against the Driver
The Camden County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Wehmeyer on September 3, 2024, under case number 24CM-CR01094.7ABC 17 News. Criminal Complaint, State v. Wehmeyer Prosecuting Attorney Richelle Grosvenor cited Missouri’s “Valentine’s law” on fleeing law enforcement, which carries potential penalties of 10 to 30 years or life.4KY3. Osage Beach Officer Dies in Crash
Wehmeyer now faces five counts:
- Second-degree murder, a Class A felony carrying 10 years to life.8KRMS Radio. Suspect in Osage Beach Police Officer’s Death Hit With Another Felony
- Aggravated fleeing a stop resulting in death, a Class A felony carrying up to 30 years.8KRMS Radio. Suspect in Osage Beach Police Officer’s Death Hit With Another Felony
- Possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl), a Class D felony carrying up to 7 years.8KRMS Radio. Suspect in Osage Beach Police Officer’s Death Hit With Another Felony
- Unlawful use of a weapon, added July 2, 2025.1KRCG. Osage Beach Officer’s Death Leads to New Charges Against Suspect
- Armed criminal action, also added July 2, 2025.1KRCG. Osage Beach Officer’s Death Leads to New Charges Against Suspect
Wehmeyer was released in September 2024 after posting a $100,000 bond.9KOMU. More Charges Filed Against Man Accused in Death of Osage Beach Police Officer On July 9, 2025, Judge Kenneth Heyden granted a defense motion for a change of venue, moving the case out of Camden County.1KRCG. Osage Beach Officer’s Death Leads to New Charges Against Suspect A hearing to address the venue transfer and set a trial date was scheduled for January 7, 2026.2ABC 17 News. Settlement Reached in Wrongful Death Lawsuit of Osage Beach Police Officer Wehmeyer has not been convicted, and the criminal case remains pending.
The Wrongful Death Settlement
In September 2024, Grant Carson filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of himself and the couple’s six children. The suit named Christopher Wehmeyer, his parents Curtis and Tami Wehmeyer, and Farm Bureau Town and Country Insurance Company of Missouri as defendants.10KOMU. Settlement Reached in Wrongful Death Lawsuit of Osage Beach Police Officer The available reporting does not spell out the specific legal theory used to include Wehmeyer’s parents.
On October 30, 2025, the Camden County Court received a $100,000 settlement payment from Farm Bureau Town and Country Insurance Company of Missouri. After attorney’s fees, the funds go to Carson’s husband and six children.11KRCG. Settlement Reached in Death of Osage Beach Police Officer
The Memorial Bridge
State Representative Jeff Vernetti of Camdenton sponsored House Bill 107 to rename a local bridge for Carson, and the designation was folded into Senate Bill 348 by the House Special Committee on Tourism.12KOMU. Governor Signs Bill Renaming Grand Glaize Bridge in Honor of Phylicia Carson Governor Mike Kehoe signed the bill in June 2025, designating the U.S. Highway 54 bridge over the Grand Glaize Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks as the “Police Officer Phylicia Carson Memorial Bridge.” The Missouri Department of Transportation covers the cost of erecting and maintaining the signs.13Missouri House of Representatives. Representative Jeff Vernetti Press Release
Signs were installed before Christmas 2025, and a public dedication took place at Osage Beach City Hall on January 23, 2026, with Governor Kehoe, Representative Vernetti, and Osage Beach Police Lieutenant Michael O’Day in attendance.14KRCG. Osage Beach Bridge Renamed to Honor Fallen Officer Phylicia Carson In a public tribute to his wife, Grant Carson said, “I knew Phylicia was going to change the world; I just didn’t know how.”15KOMU. Loved Ones Remember Fallen Osage Beach Officer