Two Columbus residents died when the vehicle they were in left a roadway and crashed into a tree, the Platte County Sheriff’s Office said.
Frank J. Brave Heart and Christian R. Schwager, both 26, were pronounced dead at the scene about 2:15 a.m. Monday. Deputies responded to the one-vehicle crash approximately 5 miles east of Monroe on Nebraska Highway 22.
Investigators determined that Brave Heart was driving a 2002 Ford Explorer west on Highway 22 when he lost control of the vehicle. It went into the north ditch before striking a tree. It was raining heavily at the time of the crash.
Both men were wearing seat belts. The crash remains under investigation.
