Father, son killed in crash near Ewing

An accident on 508 Avenue, approximately two and one-half miles south of Ewing, on Friday, Jan. 2, has resulted in two fatalities.

According to the Holt County Sheriff's Office, Boyd-Holt E911 Dispatch received a call about an injury accident at approximately 9:18 p.m.

Holt County Sheriff's Office personnel responded and determined that an individual driving a 2020 RAM pickup, northbound on 508 Avenue, lost control on the icy 'S' curves, left the roadway, and rolled onto its top into a pond.

The driver, a 34-year-old Minneapolis, Minnesota man, Michael Mokhalad, was trapped in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Four children were passengers in the vehicle and were able to escape and went looking for help, according to the sheriff's office.

One of the children, five-year-old Tym Mokhalad, was unable to continue walking and was left by the other siblings while they searched for assistance. The children located a motorist about one mile north of the accident scene and asked for help. The motorist contacted authorities and assisted in locating the other children and accident scene.

Ewing Fire and Rescue arrived and determined the five-year-old boy was still missing and requested assistance from other agencies in the search.

"After hours of searching with volunteers on the ground walking and using ATVs, as well as multiple drones with thermal imaging, the five-year-old boy was found deceased several hundred yards from the roadway," Holt County Sheriff's Department personnel said.

The other three children were transported to Avera St. Anthony's hospital and determined not to have any serious injuries.

The accident remains under investigation.

In addition to the Holt County Sheriff's Office and Ewing Fire and Rescue, Clearwater Fire and Rescue, Orchard Fire and Rescue, Neligh Fire and Rescue, O'Neill Fire and Rescue, Nebraska Game and Parks, Nebraska State Patrol, O'Neill Police Department, Holt County Attorney's Office, Holt County Emergency Management, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and A and J Towing assisted at the scene.

"We would also like to thank any other individual volunteers and departments tat we possibly overlooked," HCSO personnel said.