What happened
A 49-year-old Schuyler man was killed in a hit-and-run crash just after midnight Sunday, October 25, in the 1000 block of Road E in Schuyler, in Colfax County. The driver did not stop.
Schuyler police said officers found the man dead along the north side of the road. Police then asked the public to look for a white or light-colored Ford F-150 pickup with damage to the passenger side front end and a broken passenger-side mirror. The truck was last seen heading west on Road E toward Road 10. (WOWT via KSNB) The Omaha World-Herald reported that the man killed was a pedestrian. (Omaha World-Herald) No reporting has described what he was doing on the road when he was hit.
The man was identified as Abreham Michael Beyene, 49, of Schuyler. (WOWT / 10/11 NOW)
Police say tips from the community led investigators to a damaged pickup near a home in Columbus. Platte County deputies located Daniel Reynoso, 62, of Columbus, in Lindsay at about 1:26 p.m. Monday. According to police, Reynoso acknowledged in an interview after being read his rights that he had been in an accident and that he left the scene. Officers recovered a white 2005 Ford F-150 with damage they say is consistent with debris left at the scene, under a search warrant served at his Columbus residence. (KTIC)
Reynoso was booked into the Platte County Jail on charges of failure to stop and render aid in a crash resulting in serious injury or death, and tampering with physical evidence. (KTIC; Norfolk Daily News; Omaha World-Herald) These are charges only, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Schuyler police thanked the Nebraska State Patrol, the Colfax and Platte County sheriff's offices, Columbus police and local businesses for their help, and offered sympathy to Mr. Beyene's family. (WOWT / 10/11 NOW)
Our condolences
To Mr. Beyene's family and friends, and to everyone in Schuyler who knew him: we are so sorry. Losing someone suddenly is devastating. Learning that he was left alone at the side of a road in the middle of the night adds a kind of pain no family should have to carry. Our prayers are with you.
We also want to recognize the Schuyler officers and the neighbors whose tips helped investigators find the truck within about a day and a half. In a small town, that kind of community response matters, and it gives this family a chance at answers.
Safety context
Pedestrian deaths remain stubbornly high nationwide. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 7,080 pedestrians were killed and more than 71,000 were injured in traffic crashes in 2024, one pedestrian death every 74 minutes. NHTSA urges drivers to use extra caution at night, when people on foot are harder to see.
As the nights get longer this fall:
- Drivers: slow down after dark on town streets and county roads with no sidewalks or streetlights, where someone may be walking along the edge of the road.
- If you hit something, stop. Nebraska law requires any driver involved in a crash that injures or kills someone to stop immediately, identify themselves, and give reasonable assistance. A few minutes of help can mean the difference between life and death.
- Walkers: be seen. Where there is no sidewalk, NHTSA recommends walking facing traffic and as far from it as possible. Carry a light or wear something reflective.
The rights of families after a crash like this
In general terms, when a person is killed because of someone else's careless driving, Nebraska allows a wrongful-death claim brought by the person's personal representative for the benefit of the surviving spouse and next of kin. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-810, it generally must be filed within two years of the death, and the evidence that decides it can fade much sooner.
As to this crash specifically, and only as possibilities based on the reporting:
- The driver's responsibility. Police say the suspect acknowledged being in an accident and leaving the scene, and he is charged with failing to stop and render aid. In Nebraska, leaving the scene of a crash that results in death is a Class III felony. If the investigation confirms that his pickup struck Mr. Beyene, the family may have a wrongful-death claim against him for the collision itself. A criminal case and a civil claim run separately, and the family does not need to wait for one to protect the other.
- Insurance, including the family's own. Whether the driver carried liability insurance, and how much, has not been reported. Nebraska requires auto policies on vehicles garaged in the state to include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Nebraska's definition of an uninsured motor vehicle also covers a hit-and-run vehicle that makes physical contact with the insured. If the driver's coverage turns out to be missing or too small, an auto policy covering Mr. Beyene may provide coverage, depending on its terms.
- Questions the other side may raise. Families should expect an insurer to ask where Mr. Beyene was and whether he could be seen. Nebraska bars recovery only when the injured person's own negligence is equal to or greater than the combined negligence of those being sued; anything less reduces a claim. Nothing in the reporting so far addresses that question. A driver who leaves the scene also leaves behind the chance to help, and to tell what happened.
The criminal charges are allegations only, and the investigation is ongoing.
Learn more about your rights: you may want to read about claims after a person on foot is struck by a vehicle, about wrongful-death claims in Nebraska, and about help for families in the Columbus area after a serious crash.
How I help families in crisis
After a loss like this, a family is facing grief, a funeral, a criminal case they never asked to be part of, and insurance companies they may not even know exist. My job is to help families through exactly this kind of crisis. I take the stress from their shoulders, take up the shield to protect and advocate for the rights of the person they lost, and guide them through the difficult months ahead.
In a case like this, that means following the criminal case and making sure the family's voice is heard in it. It means securing the police reports, the evidence from the truck and the scene, and any video from homes and businesses along Road E. And it means tracking down every insurance policy, including the family's own uninsured and underinsured coverage, so nothing is left on the table.
Over my career I have recovered more than $24 million for injured people and their families, earned countless five-star client reviews and the respect of fellow attorneys, and been recognized as Best of Omaha for personal injury in 2025 and 2026.
When you're ready, call and we'll sit down together. There's no charge for that conversation and no pressure to do anything after it, and if we work together, I'm paid only when I win.
Frequently asked questions
- What happened in the hit-and-run on Road E in Schuyler?
- Just after midnight on Sunday, October 25, 2026, a 49-year-old Schuyler man was found dead along the north side of the road in the 1000 block of Road E in Schuyler, Nebraska, after a hit-and-run. Police later arrested a 62-year-old Columbus man and seized a damaged white Ford F-150.
- What are the rights of families after a crash like this?
- In Nebraska, the personal representative can bring a wrongful-death claim for the surviving spouse and next of kin, generally within two years. If the investigation confirms the suspect's truck struck the victim, the family may have a claim against the driver, and the family's own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may also apply.
- How does Frank Younes help families after something like this?
- Frank takes the legal burden off the family: following the criminal case, securing police reports and evidence from the truck and the scene, gathering video, and finding every insurance policy that may apply, including the family's own coverage. The first conversation is free, and there is no fee unless he wins.
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Frank Younes
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