A preliminary autopsy found that 16-year-old Persephone Berger had no physical injuries before a St. Francois County sheriff's deputy's patrol car struck her on a road early Saturday, leaving her injuries consistent solely with the impact of the vehicle. The finding adds a grim new layer to a case that began with deputies responding to a report of an unresponsive person lying in the roadway and ended with that same patrol car striking her, although a caller had already reported an unresponsive person in the roadway.
According to KMOV, deputies responded at approximately 3:43 a.m. Saturday to the 5400 block of Davis Crossing Road after a caller reported someone lying unresponsive in the road. The caller had stayed at the scene with hazard lights flashing on their own vehicle, and the responding deputy reportedly saw that parked car but did not see the person lying in the roadway before the patrol car struck her. The deputy remained at the scene afterward and notified a supervisor, KMOV reported.
The St. Francois County Sheriff's Department confirmed Berger's death and said the crash was not the result of a police chase, per the same outlet's reporting. Why she was lying in the road in the first place remains unknown, the sheriff's department said. St. Francois County Coroner Jason Coplin told First Alert 4 that Berger suffered blunt trauma injuries, and the station reported the official cause of death cannot be confirmed until further testing is completed.
Toxicology Results Still Pending as Coroner Awaits Final Tests
Separately, KSDK reported that the St. Francois County coroner pronounced Berger dead at the scene, while official toxicology results remain pending following the preliminary autopsy exam. Toxicology testing is standard in fatal crash investigations and could help clarify whether impairment or a medical event played a role in why Berger was found in the road before the deputy arrived.
The crash occurred on Davis Crossing Road, in the 5400 block.
State Troopers Brought In for Independent Crash Reconstruction
The St. Francois County Sheriff requested that the Missouri State Highway Patrol conduct an independent investigation into the crash, according to KMOV's reporting.
Berger's death has prompted an outpouring of grief from the Park Hills community. The West County R-IV School District announced her death to students and families, and a candlelight vigil was held at West County High School Monday evening at 8 p.m.
Missouri Pedestrian Fatalities
Missouri recorded 139 pedestrian fatalities across all highway districts in 2025, according to safety tracking data published by the Missouri Department of Transportation. That followed 148 pedestrian deaths on state roads in 2024, per MoDOT safety reports.
MoDOT safety reports have also noted that a notable share of pedestrian deaths in Missouri involve people who exited their vehicles in or near traffic lanes following prior breakdowns or crashes — a situational factor echoed in this case, where the caller who reported Berger had pulled over with hazard lights on before the deputy's car arrived. Teen road safety more broadly remains a regional concern: Missouri recorded 41 deaths in 40 fatal crashes involving teen drivers during the summer “100 Deadliest Days” period in 2025, according to MSHP Statistical Analysis Center figures cited by AAA.
For now, the central questions in Berger's death remain open. Investigators have not said why she was in the roadway before deputies arrived, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol's independent crash reconstruction has not yet been completed.
