York crash kills one, injures four

YORK, Neb. -- York County Sheriff Dale Radcliff has released the name of the Aurora woman who lost her life in a multi-vehicle accident two miles south of York Monday night.

Radcliff said Renae Epp, 34, was pronounced dead at the scene after the 2002 Chrysler van she was driving collided head-on with another vehicle on Highway 81.

Two of her children, Jaydin Epp, 10, and Brooklyn Epp, 8, were very seriously injured and taken by helicopter to Creighton Hospital in Omaha.

Radcliff said he did not know their conditions, as of Tuesday morning.

A third child in the van, Katrina Epp, 2, was not injured.

Radcliff said Epp's van was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes. He explained that southbound traffic consisted of a semi-trailer, followed by two cars, in the east lane. There was another vehicle in the west lane, next to them, proceeding south.

Epp's northbound vehicle was also in the east lane of the southbound roadway.

"We have no idea as to why the Epp vehicle was in the southbound lanes," Radcliff said, noting that alcohol was not a suspected factor in this accident.

"The driver of the semi was able to move out of the way, going into the west lane," Radcliff said. "But the driver of the car directly behind the semi didn¹t have time to react." The van and a 2007 Toyota Camry, driven by Thomas N. Schutz, 34, of Omaha, struck head-on. The vehicle behind Schutz, a 2002 Chevy Sedan, driven by Jimmy Gruber of Bennington, Kan., clipped the left rear of the Schutz vehicle, which sent the Gruber vehicle into the median.

Schutz sustained very serious injuries and was life-flighted to Bryan LGH West in Lincoln. Radcliff said he had not yet been updated as to Schutz' current condition.

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