KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a pedestrian died at a hospital after being struck by a car near Kearney in south-central Nebraska.

The accident occurred around 8 p.m. Tuesday, about a mile and a half west of Kearney. The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office says the car was westbound on a gravel road when it struck the man. He died later at a Kearney hospital. An autopsy has been ordered.

The names of those involved haven’t been released.

As travelers hit the road over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Nebraska State Troopers will be out in force to help keep Nebraska roadways safe. The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) is also urging drivers to be prepared for potential winter weather that may arrive in the latter part of the weekend.

“Thanksgiving brings some of the busiest travel days of the year,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Our troopers are prepared not only to enforce Nebraska’s traffic safety laws, but also to help motorists who need assistance.”

Troopers and dispatchers will be working throughout the holiday weekend from border to border in Nebraska. Any motorists who need assistance can call the NSP Highway Helpline at *55 from any cell phone. The public can also use *55 to get a direct connection to NSP dispatch to report impaired or reckless drivers.

Nationwide, AAA is projecting 48.5 million people will travel by car over the Thanksgiving weekend, the highest travel volume since 2005. With the potential for rain and snow in some parts of Nebraska this weekend, travelers should pay close attention to local forecasts and also check the weather and road conditions before their return trip.

Nebraska 511, Nebraska’s Advanced Traveler Information System, is the best way to stay up to date on travel conditions throughout the state. The system is available at all times via phone by dialing 511, online at www.511.nebraska.gov, or Nebraska’s 511 smartphone app.

“Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends,” said Bolduc. “With law enforcement and the public working together, we can make sure everyone arrives at their destination safely and all the seats at the table are filled.”

For those traveling outside Nebraska, most other states maintain a system similar to Nebraska 511, also available via phone by dialing 511 when present in that state.

The Blue Print Nebraska officials will be hosting a Town Hall meeting format for the citizens of North Platte on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018 at the Holiday Inn Express.  A box lunch will be provided for the participants.

This is an exciting opportunity for you to participate in a public town hall that will influence the future of Nebraska – our future.  The town hall is a continuation of Blueprint Nebraska’s effort to engage business leaders and the public.  Working to create a new standard of sustainable economic prosperity for all Nebraskans, Blueprint Nebraska is a new, citizen-led, statewide economic development initiative that seeks to establish a comprehensive and pro-active plan to stimulate the state’s economic growth, competitiveness and prosperity, while building on Nebraska’s numerous strengths.

On November 27, Lance Fritz, CEO of Union Pacific Corporation, and Owen Palm, CEO of 21st Century Holdings, will join Jim Smith, Executive Director of Blueprint Nebraska, for a public discussion in North Platte.  We also ask that you extend the invitation to friends, colleagues and others.

The town hall will be held in North Platte from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. CT at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites at 300 Holiday Frontage Rd., North Platte, NE 69101.  Attendance is free, open to the public, and does not require pre-registration. Media is invited and will be present.

Authorities have identified the woman who was killed after falling from a vehicle in Hershey and have arrested her husband.

On November 19, 2018 at 5:55 p.m., Lincoln County Deputies were called to Link 56 C, just south of Hershey, Nebraska.

It was reported a subject was lying in the roadway and a vehicle was parked by the subject. A Deputy was close to the location and found a female on the road that was unresponsive with obvious injuries. The Deputy began lifesaving techniques but to no avail.

The female was pronounced dead at the scene and was identified as forty-five-year-old Brandy Lewis of Ogallala, NE.

Deputies met with Mrs. Lewis’ husband, fifty-nine year old Ted Lewis, the driver of the vehicle.

Mr. Lewis stated that Mrs. Lewis decided to jump out of the vehicle while it was in motion and he could not stop her.

Accident Reconstructionists and Criminal Investigators from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene and conducted an extensive investigation.

Mr. Lewis was detained for a blood test that indicated he was above the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle. He was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol 1st Offense and incarcerated in the Lincoln County Detention Center.

Mrs. Lewis was transported to Gibbon, Nebraska for an autopsy to be performed Tuesday afternoon.

The investigation is ongoing.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has hired a Utah college administrator as its first vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion.

The university said Monday that Marco Barker will begin his work in Lincoln on April 1.

Barker’s hiring creates a new Office of Diversity and Inclusion. He’ll lead the university’s planning and efforts toward ensuring an inclusive and equitable campus in areas such as faculty recruitment and retention, education and research.

Barker is chief diversity officer at Westminister College in Salt Lake City. He has a bachelor’s in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas, a master’s from Webster University and a doctorate in educational leadership and research from Louisiana State University.

HERSHEY, Neb. (AP) – Authorities say a woman who fell from a moving vehicle in western Nebraska has died.

The North Platte Telegraph reports that the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was notified about the incident a little after 6 p.m. Monday. It occurred just north of the roundabout on Link 56C on the south side of Hershey.

Chief Deputy Roland Kramer says it’s unclear what happened. The vehicle driver was taken in for questioning and for drug and alcohol testing.

No names have been released.

An NSP unit was involved in a single-vehicle crash near Melbeta that left the unit stuck on train tracks. The unit was then struck by a train while no one was inside.

The incident happened at approximately 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 17 when a trooper encountered ice on the roadway near the intersection of Wrights Gap Road and Highway 92. The trooper was unable to stop the vehicle at a stop sign and traveled through the intersection before the vehicle came to rest on train tracks on the opposite side of the highway.

The trooper notified dispatch of the situation and attempted to contact the railroad to make notification that a vehicle was stuck on the tracks. A short time later a train approached and struck the vehicle. Nobody was inside the vehicle at the time of the collision.

NSP has asked the Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office to handle the accident investigation. The Nebraska State Patrol will also conduct an internal review.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol had a busy weekend involving a pursuit, multiple drug arrests, and more than 100 motorist assists.

On Friday at approximately 6:15 p.m., a trooper observed a 1985 Ford pickup fail to signal a turn after exiting Interstate 80 at the Giltner interchange. During the traffic stop, an NSP K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance coming from the vehicle. Troopers searched the vehicle and discovered 20 pounds of marijuana hidden under a false floor in the bed of the pickup.

The driver, Benjamin Howell, 25, of McKinleyville, California, was arrested for possession with intent to deliver and no drug tax stamp. Howell was lodged in Hamilton County Jail.

On Saturday at approximately 1:20 p.m., a trooper stopped a 2007 Hyundai Entourage for speeding near mile marker 426 on I-80. During the traffic stop, the trooper determined that the driver was under the influence of drugs. The driver, Jerome Harlston, 55, of Lincoln, also had 49 grams of cocaine in his pocket.

Harlston was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. There were two juveniles in the vehicle with Harlston at the time of the stop and were returned to their home. Harlston was lodged in Cass County Jail.

On Sunday at approximately 12:30 p.m., NSP received a report of a westbound, gray pickup passing vehicles on the shoulder of I-80. While a trooper was assisting another driver near mile marker 316, the suspect vehicle passed and failed to move over. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

The vehicle reached 115 miles per hour while it continued passing vehicles on the shoulder. Troopers successfully deployed spike strips to bring the pickup to a stop near mile marker 286. The driver, Joseph McGregor, 35, of Omaha, was arrested for willful reckless driving and flight to avoid arrest. McGregor was lodged in Hall County Jail.

As snow blanketed much of the state this weekend, troopers were also busy on the roads responding to crashes and drivers in need of assistance. Troopers performed nearly 125 motorist assists during the snowfall on Saturday.