This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: MILLER Classification: Death Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/zk.2ADI/927 Message Board Post: Elyse M. Miller Miss Miller died Feb. 4 in a car accident one mile north of Neola on Highway 191. She was born in Council Bluffs. She was a sophomore at Tri-Center High School in Neola. She was a member of Abundant Life Fellowship Church and its youth group. She was active in high school track, basketball, softball, volleyball, dance drill team and 4-H. She was on the Gold Honor Roll. Survivors include her parents, Gale "Chub" and Denise Miller, of Persia; sister, Kelsey Miller, of Persia; two brothers, Nathan Miller and Ian Miller, both of Persia; grandparents, Verrow "Butch" and Lue Miller, of Persia. Visitation will be Friday from noon to 9 p.m. at Abundant Life Church, 1610 Chatburn, Harlan. Burial will be in Valley View Cemetery in Persia. Pauley Jones Funeral home in Harlan is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be given to the Elyse Miller Scholarship Fund. ©Daily Nonpareil 2003 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chain may have caused fatal crash COURTNEY BRUMMER , Staff Writer 02/06/2003 NEOLA - A broken chain is being investigated as the possible cause of a crash that killed a 16-year-old Persia girl and seriously injured her passenger Tuesday. Tri-Center sophomore Elyse Miller, 16, was pronounced dead at the scene after a salvaged junk car slid from the semi-trailer carrying it and crashed into her car. Pottawattamie County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jim Matthai said investigators are examining all possibilities but so far, it appears that a broken chain allowed the junk cars to come free. "There were some broken links at the scene," he said. "So we think we have an idea, but we're still investigating all possibilities." Miller's passenger, B.J. Pauley, 16, of Neola remains in serious condition at NHS University Hospital in Omaha, where he was taken by helicopter ambulance after the crash. The collision occurred at 8:15 a.m. on Highway 191, about a mile north of Neola. Miller was driving her Dodge Dynasty north and the semi-trailer, driven by Justin Johannsen, 22, of Denison was driving south. Reports indicate that at the moment the two vehicles were next to each other, a junked car came loose and slammed into Miller's car which spun into a nearby, steep ditch. She was killed on impact. The semi-trailer also turned over into the ditch, a matter that investigators are looking into. Johannsen was taken to Alegent Health Mercy Hospital where he was treated and released for minor injuries. "This was a terrible thing for those kids," Matthai said. "There was nothing she could do. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time." Matthai said the department is in the process of talking to everyone that was involved in the incident, including the trucking company Johannsen works for, Diamond F Transportation of Denison. "They've been cooperative," he said. "We've talked with them and they've answered all of our questions. We're still investigating the matter." Once the investigation is complete, all of the evidence will be turned over to the Pottawattamie County Attorney's office for review of whether any violations were committed. The funeral for Miller is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Tri-Center High School. A memorial scholarship fund has been set up in Miller's name. Wednesday's stories Persia teen killed in crash with semi carrying junk cars NEOLA - Like many others her age, Tri-Center High School sophomore Elyse Miller was on her way to school at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday. Unfortunately, she didn't make it that far. Miller, 16, of Persia was killed in a car crash after a junked vehicle became detached from the semi-trailer carrying it and landed on Miller's car. Investigators believe she was killed on impact. Her passenger, sophomore B.J. Pauley, 16, of Neola was taken to NHS University Hospital in Omaha by helicopter ambulance. He was upgraded to serious condition, according to hospital spokesperson Kelly Grinnell. Tri-Center Superintendent Brett A. Nanninga said classes will resume as normal and the the school's crisis counseling team will be available to assist students, faculty and community members today. "This hit us in the morning just as school started," he said. "So it was pretty open until lunchtime and then we tried to get back to some kind of normalcy." The crash occurred at 8:15 a.m. about one mile north of Neola on Highway 191. The front half of Miller's car was torn open, and the semi-trailer rolled into a ditch where it turned over. Debris from crushed cars littered the side of the road as Pottawattamie County deputies, and Minden, Neola and Underwood fire and rescue crews used the jaws of life to extricate Miller from her car. She was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner. The driver of the semi-trailer, Justin R. Johannsen, 22, of Denison, was taken by the Minden rescue squad to Alegent Health Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. He was treated and released for minor injuries. Nanninga said he arrived at the scene shortly after rescue crews. He said he heard some of the details of the accident come over the scanner and because of the time, was worried that one of his students could be involved. When he and the school's head custodian arrived on the scene, his fears were confirmed. "They were friends," he said. "She had just taken him home quickly to get some things, and they were on their way back to school." Nanninga said he had watched Miller grow up and that she was a positive influence in the school. She was involved in athletics, music, drill team and was a teacher's aide at the elementary school. "She had an outgoing personality," he said. "She was a good student, everything you can ask for in someone her age." In addition to her other activities, she had been a carrier for The Daily Nonpareil. Nanninga said he met Miller's father back at school. "He didn't know," he said. "He came into the office and asked, 'How's my daughter?' I didn't know how to tell him. What do you say?" The Tri-Center boys' basketball team was scheduled to play Griswold High School Tuesday night, but because of the news of Miller's death and Pauley's injuries, the game was canceled. "You tend to think that teenagers will get into troublesome spots occasionally," Nanninga said. "But these were two innocent victims of circumstance." Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker said the department is conducting a full investigation into the crash. It is unknown whether or not criminal charges will be brought up. "We'll have to see what we find in the course of the investigation," he said. ©Daily Nonpareil 2003 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Accident Kills Iowa Teen, Injures Another Both Teens Tri-Center Students POSTED: 5:06 p.m. CST February 4, 2003 UPDATED: 11:26 a.m. CST February 6, 2003 NEOLA, Iowa -- An accident near Neola, Iowa, killed one high school student and critically injured another student Tuesday morning. Investigators said salvage cars fell off a semitrailer and crashed into a car after the chain holding them broke. B.J. Pauley and Elyse Miller were inside that car. The accident happened on Highway 191. Miller was killed. She was a sophomore at Tri-Center Community Schools and lived in Persia. Pauley is in a hospital in critical condition Thursday. He's also a sophomore at Tri-Center and lives in Neola. The two teens were on their way to school when the accident happened. A crisis counselor team was at the Tri-Center Schools Tuesday night and Wednesday to help students cope with the accident. The investigation into the accident is continuing. Authorities said they are considering charges against the truck driver, but no charges have yet been filed. Copyright 2003 by TheOmahaChannel.com.