Man had woman's dead body in the car during chase: Police
Share and Follow

Left: Gavin Thompson (Lancaster County Department of Corrections). Right: Dorinda Segebrecht (Iowa County Sheriff”s Office).

A Wisconsin man allegedly took police on a wrong-way highway chase while in a car connected to a missing person case — and that missing person may have been the dead body found in the car.

Gavin Thompson, 23, is currently in custody at the Lancaster County Jail in Nebraska. Thompson was arrested after he allegedly crossed state lines in a car that reportedly belonged to 67-year-old Dorinda Segebrecht, who was reported missing in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, on Monday. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, the agency received an alert from the neighboring Iowa County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin that Segebrecht’s black Hyundai Kona may have been traveling westbound in Nebraska.

When state troopers spotted the car at around 1:50 a.m. on Wednesday, the driver of the car did not match the description of its owner. Troopers attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver — eventually identified as Thompson, also a Dodgeville resident — apparently fled instead.

According to the Nebraska State Patrol, Thompson had allegedly tried to exit Interstate 80 to evade police. After he fled, he got back on the interstate’s eastbound lane, headed in the wrong direction inside of a construction zone, officials say.

Thompson then “failed to navigate the lane shift, drove into the median, and crashed into a creek.” He fled on foot, and police approached the car. Authorities say that in the back seat was the dead body of a woman who matched Segebrecht’s description. While Nebraska officials have not officially confirmed the identity of the body, they stated, “It was clear that the woman had died before the crash.”

State troopers summoned several local law enforcement agencies, including the SWAT team. Using “police service dogs, drones, and the NSP helicopter,” a deputy with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office found Thompson about 4 miles away from the crash site. He was arrested without incident.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Iowa County Sheriff Michael Peterson and Dodgeville Police Department Police Chief Brandon Wilhelm both said that there was no known relationship between Thompson and Segebrecht. Wilhelm called the alleged crime a “random act of violence.”

Peterson stated, “We’ve lost a beloved member of our county under tragic and senseless circumstances.”

Thompson is currently being held without bond at Nebraska’s Lancaster County Jail after being charged with reckless driving and avoiding arrest. He is expected to be extradited to Wisconsin’s Iowa County.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Tragic Infant Assault: Mother Charged After 10-Month-Old’s Fatal Skull Fractures and Strokes

Left: Daisha Somers (Hocking County Sheriff’s Office). Right: Ka’myla Somers (GoFundMe). In…

Former Pastor John Paul Miller Faces Indictment for Alleged Cyberstalking Leading to Estranged Wife’s Tragic Death

A federal grand jury has charged John Paul Miller, a former pastor…

Controversial Mayor Cleared of Charges Vows to ‘Regain Control’ Over Family Dynamics

Left: Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. speaks at a press conference…

Seven Preteens Charged with Battery in Shocking Viral Attack on Mother: Ages 10-13

Seven children from Illinois are facing criminal charges following an alleged attack…

Heart-Wrenching Courtroom Moment: Brave 8-Year-Old Confronts Mom’s Killer

A tragic incident unfolded in Canton, Ohio, when 29-year-old Morgan Fox was…

Mystery Deepens as Holly Bobo’s Alleged Killer Seeks New Trial After Her Disappearance

Holly Bobo, a vibrant nursing student, vanished from her family’s home in…

Probation Violation: Men Caught with Drugs and Firearms

In a recent incident in Gainesville, Florida, two young men, Peyton Artavious…

Dog Owner Pursues and Assaults Driver After Pet is Struck, Police Report

Inset: Charles Cooper (Polk County Sheriff’s Office). Background: A Missouri middle school…