Family Accuses Police of Lying in Teen's Death After Being Struck by Deputy

The family of Persephone Berger, 16, is accusing authorities of lying about and obscuring the details surrounding her death after she was struck and killed by a deputy's vehicle early Saturday morning. The St. Francois County Sheriff's Office stated the deputy did not see Berger, who was reportedly lying in the middle of the road near Park Hills, Missouri, around 3:43 a.m.

The family learned days later that a deputy was involved, initially being told the incident was a hit-and-run. According to Kimberly Cabuchola, Berger's aunt, the family was not contacted by the Sheriff's Office for three days following the incident. "Nobody said anything to my brother. Nobody contacted my brother. Only one that contacted him within that three-day was the coroner, to tell us that she was so badly mangled that we needed to have a closed coffin for her," Cabuchola told First Alert 4.

"All they had to do was say: 'Our officer accidentally ran over your child and she died.' That's all they had to do. But no. The lies. The not calling the right people in. Not getting investigated. Not reaching out to my brother for three days. That wasn't an accident," she added, expressing anger over the perceived lack of transparency, though she believes the crash itself was an accident.

Authorities stated the deputy, a 23-year-old with three months of service, was responding to a report of an unconscious person when he encountered the hazard lights of an apparently unoccupied vehicle and proceeded without seeing Berger. The Sheriff's Office said it waited to inform the family until a preliminary autopsy was conducted on Monday, which indicated the girl had been hit by the deputy's car. The reason Berger was on the road unconscious remains under investigation.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is conducting an independent investigation into the incident. Cabuchola noted that the Sheriff's Department reportedly had no video from the involved vehicle, though the deputy's body camera footage was provided to the Highway Patrol. She also stated that the scene was cleared before the Highway Patrol arrived for their investigation.

Friends of Berger described her as a lively, understanding, kind, and funny person with a bright future ahead of her. The local community held a candlelight vigil on Monday evening to mourn the teenager's death. A GoFundMe has been established to assist the family with funeral expenses.