Crash victim tried passing in fog

A 64-year-old Wahoo woman who died Tuesday in a two-vehicle accident about 1½ miles south of Fremont on U.S. Highway 77 has been identified as Maralee Taylor.

Taylor, who was alone in her vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of a second vehicle, Allen Naprstek, a 66-year-old Valparaiso man, was taken to a Fremont hospital with injuries that authorities did not believe were life-threatening. Naprstek, too, was traveling alone.

Saunders County Sheriff Kevin Stukenholtz said the crash occurred about 8 a.m. and closed U.S. 77 until 12:30 p.m.

Stukenholtz said Taylor was southbound on Highway 77 and appeared to have tried to pass another vehicle in heavy fog when her car was struck by the northbound semitrailer truck driven by Naprstek.

“The fog was extremely thick out there this morning,” he said. “We were having trouble identifying rescue vehicles as they pulled up to the scene.”

The Nebraska State Patrol assisted Saunders County with the investigation.

Also responding to the accident were rescue workers from Cedar Bluffs and Fremont, as well as deputies from the Dodge County Sheriff's Office.

— Kevin Cole

Correction: In an earlier version of this story, the name of the truck's driver was misspelled.

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