Toddler hurt in fiery downtown Omaha crash dies, bringing death toll to 4
Mother facing charges reportedly was driving faster than 100 mph with a BAC higher than .2
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The 18-month-old taken to a burn unit in Kansas City after a devastating high-speed crash last week has died, police confirmed Tuesday.
According to an affidavit filed in Douglas County Court on Monday, ER staff who treated the child said the injuries “could only be described as ‘haunting.’”
Her mother, 33-year-old Rachel Bickerstaff, is facing charges after the fiery crash left her young daughters — one of them a newborn — and the driver of the other vehicle, 70-year-old Michael Sales, dead at the scene. Sales was on his way home from his part-time job at FedEx shortly after 1:20 a.m. Friday when the crash caused both vehicles to become engulfed in flames.
Bickerstaff and her passenger, 38-year-old Eddie Partida — who is also the father of the three girls — survived the crash. The parents and their 18-month-old daughter were taken to an Omaha hospital and later transferred to the University of Kansas hospital burn unit. Bickerstaff and Partida are still being treated there.
As a result of the impact, which “pushed both vehicles eastward,” the Subaru hit a light pole. Bickerstaff’s Jeep struck a tree and rolled before catching on fire, which spread to Sales’ Subaru and “engulfed both engines,” according to court documents.
According to court documents filed on Monday, Bickerstaff was driving around 105-116 mph and had a BAC of 0.216 — almost three times the legal limit — when she crashed into a Subaru driven by 70-year-old Michael Sales of Council Bluffs, who died in the crash along with Bickerstaff’s two daughters, an 11-day-old and a 5-year-old.
A warrant was issued for Bickerstaff this week — before the 18-month-old’s death — calling for three counts of motor vehicle homicide, a Class II Felony.
Court records also show that Bickerstaff had one prior DUI conviction, in early 2020, after she slammed into another car and pushed them off the road at 81st Street and West Maple Road. She pleaded “no contest” to misdemeanor DUI and reckless driving, losing her license for 60 days and requiring an interlock device. She was on probation for six months and had to pay fines totaling less than $800.
6 News also found that Bickerstaff has four other children — likely between the ages of 8 and 11 years old today — who were put into state custody several years ago. Based on juvenile court records, Partida is the father to one of them.
Documents show the state had concerns for the safety and well-being of the children, alleging that Bickerstaff missed her drug tests — she had a history of methamphetamine use, the documents state — and wasn’t following the medical plan when it came to a son with leukemia. Eventually, in 2019, the parents relinquished their rights, and those children were put up for adoption.
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Digital Producer Jackson Piercy contributed to this report.
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